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Tha  Imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
poaaibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifieationa. 


Laa  imagaa  suivantaa  ont  4t*  raproduitaa  avac  la 
plua  grand  toin.  eompta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  I'axamplaira  film*,  at  an 
conformiti  avac  laa  conditiona  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  eopiaa  in  printad  papar  eovars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  sovar  whan  appropriate.  Ail 
othar  original  eopiaa  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa* 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  imprassion. 


Laa  axamplairaa  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  aat  imprim4a  sont  film4s  an  comman^nt 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
damiAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'Impraaalon  ou  dliluatration.  soit  par  la  saeond 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Toua  laa  autrea  axamplairaa 
originaux  sont  filmte  an  commanqant  par  la 
pramiAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
dlmpraaaion  ou  dliluatration  at  tn  tarminant  par 
la  damiira  paga  qui  comporta  una  taila 
amprainta. 


Tha  laat  raeordad  frama  on  aach  mierofieha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  «^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUEO").  or  tha  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  appiiaa. 


Un  daa  symbolaa  suivanta  apparaitra  sur  la 
damlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  mierofieha,  salon  la 
caa:  la  symboia  — »  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbola  ▼  signifia  "FIN". 


Mapa.  plataa.  eharta,  ate.,  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduetion  ratioa.  Thoaa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraly  included  in  one  expoaura  ara  filmad 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  comer,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framea  aa 
required.  The  following  diagrama  iiiuatrata  the 
method: 


Lee  cartee,  planchaa.  tableaux,  etc..  pauvant  Atra 
film4e  k  do*  taux  de  rMuction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  la  documem  aat  trap  grand  pour  itra 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich*.  il  aat  film*  A  partir 
do  I'angla  supMaur  gauche,  de  gauche  k  droite. 
et  de  haut  an  baa.  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'Imagae  n4eeeaaira.  Lea  diagrammea  suivanta 
iliuatrent  la  m^thoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

'*ICMOam   RBOWTON   TBT  CHART 

(ANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHAUT  No.  2) 


^ 


i*"  toil  Main  Slrm 
(7'6)  288  -  5989  -  Fo, 


Ontario  Department  of  Agriculture 

ONTARIO  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 


BULLETIN  280 


Alfalfa 


By 
C.  A.  ZAVITZ,  B.S.A.,  D.Sc. 

Professor  of  Field  Husbandry  and  Director  of  Field  Experiments 


A  large  plant  of  Alfalfa  about  seven  feet  in  disi:  Ur  and  still  spreading  bjr  means 

of  creeping  root  s     iss. 


TORONTO.  ONTARIO,  SEPTEMBER,  192» 


READ  THIS,  AM)    1  HEN    READ  THE   Bl  LLETIN 


Alfalfa  ha«  Umm.  Kr,..vn  exiKTinu'i.tally  at  the  U.A.C   since  If^UO. 

The  Ling  varieties,  aceonlin,  to  a  ten-year  te-t,  mei.M.n,  viehl  an.l  hardi- 

ness  lire  (irimm  and  Ontario  Varu-ated.  \i,ro-eiilture 

It  i.  n^uallv  prolitable,  hetore  sowiuj;,  to  inoeuhUe  the  >ee,l  «ith  Nitro  l  iltuH 
'1m,        "       1  aed  for '.owing  should  be  of  a.,  approved  vanety    free  ot  vv-eed 

needs  and  should  te,t  high  in  gern.ination.     The  Seed  Laboratory,  Department  of 

Agrieulture,  Ottawa,  will  test  samples  for  punty  and  vitality. 
Alfalfa  may  be  gown— 

(a)  In  July  without  a  nur^e  eiop.  aft.T  fallowing. 
(I,)   At  the  usual  seeding  time  with  a  e.'real  nurse  crop   barley  or  wheat,  ^own 

thinly. 
(,•>   On  winter  wheat,  preferably  in  tJ.e  early  spring   on  fresh  snow. 

Mfalfa  is  good  for  the  soil  on  wlii.h  it  grows,  good  for  the  animals  that  eat  it, 
and  therefore  good  for  the  pocket  of  the  farmer  who  ra-ses  ,t. 


CONTENTS 

rvi.E 

3 

Introduct.  jn    

6 

Experiments  with  Alfalfa   

Sixty-six  Cuttings  of  Alfalfa  in  Twenty-two  Years 

„       .  8 

Alfalfa  and  Its  Differ,  nt  Species  

10 

Varieties  of   Alfalfa    

Ten  Years'  Test  of  Ten  Varieties  of  Alfalfa 

Other  Experiments  with  Varieties  of  Alfalfa  ^ 

15 

Alfalfa  Plant  Breeding  

18 

Alfalfa   Seed    Inoculation    

19 

Soil,  Seed  and  Seeding   

Manures  and  Fertilizers  with  Alfalfa   

22 

Alfalfa  Seed  Production   

2& 
Co-operative  Experiments  with  Alfalfa   

Composition  of  Alfalfa.  Red  Clover  and  Timothy   2« 

Influence  of  Alfalfa  Roots  on  the  Soil  

28 

Uses  of  Alfa'i.'a  

Alfalfa  m  Combinaiion  with  Clovers  and  Grasses  for  Pasture  Production 29 

Alfalfa  m  combination  with  Clovors  and  Grasses  for  Hay  Production 30 

important  Suggestions  for  tbe  Successful  Production  of  Alfalfa 31 


BULLETIN  2801 


ISEPTEMBKR,  192t 


Ontario  Department   of   Agricultare 

ONTARIO  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 


ALFALFA 

C.  A.  Zavitz,  B.S.A..  D.Sc. 


INTUODUC  TION. 

Alfalfa  or  Lmrriii'  is  a  (Icep- rooted  k'>;uiiiiiious  plant.  Jt  ]mi-m-..-  a  r.ui- 
binatioii  (.f  dinnRtiTistiis  wliidi  is  not  ftMiiid  in  any  other  farm  crop.  Tli-'  -n'Wth 
of  alfalfa  starts  early  in  the  sjiriiif,'  and  continiie.s  tlinm^'hout  liie  sunmur  and 
even  into   the   late  autumn,      its   large  yieh^s  of   nutrition-   feed   for    farm    >tock, 


A  Jtroup  of  farmers  listening  to  a  talk  on  OnUrlo  Variegated  Alfalfa,  the  flowers 
of  which  are  variegated  in  color,  being  composed  of  violet,  blae,  green  and 
yellow,  and  various  blends  of  these  with  each  other. 

its  perennial  habit  of  growth  and  itsbeneficial  influence  on  the  soil  are  all  featurei 
which  commend  it  highly.  Its  power  of  making  use  of  the  free  nitrogen  of  the 
atmosphere  and  of  the  fertilizing  elements  of  the  subsoil  is  of  great  value.  Alfalf* 
produces  two  or  three  crops  per  annum  in  Ontario  and,  under  favorable  conditions, 
thrives  for  several  years  without  the  necessity  of  re-seeding.  The  feed  is  relished 
by  practically  all  kinds  of  farm  stock.  It  can  be  used  in  the  green  or  in  the  dry 
condition,  or  it  can  be  converted  into  silage.     In  some  localities  of  the  Province 

3 


Weighing  grawe*  gr  .wn  on  the  experimental  plot*. 


An  eleven-acre  Held  of  Ontario  Variegated  Alfalfa  grown  on 
An  e«»c  ^^^  College  farm. 


Loading  Alfalfa  in  a  thirty-acre  field  on  the  College  farm. 


Alfalfa. 
(Uedicago  M(iva). 


tlif  MMKiiil  (Tiiii  ill  tilt'  M-a<ioii  iit  allowfd  to  ri(H'ii  fur  »«>f<|  iiroiliii'tion  to  good 
ailMiiilii){i'.  Alfalftt  \*  |Hirticularly  suitable  fur  uw  in  a  Imi^  ruiatioii.  ami  it  leave* 
tlif  »t(j|  ill  nil  oxcellcnt  rendition  to  be  foilowt-d  \)\  other  farm  i  rii|«.  In  order 
to  jfrow  alfalfa  nucceitHfully,  however,  it  in  necennarv  t<>  underRtaml  the  trop  and 
to  adopt  the  ver}-  best  methods  f«i  iti<  gn)wth.  Fortunate,  indeed.  •■  that  rountry 
which  run  proiliire  alfalfa  HatiHfactorily  ax  a  n>guhir  farm  crop. 

Ei|;lit  yeari*  ago  the  Ontario  Bureau  of  Industries  conunenred  to  collert  and 
to  report  data  regarding  the  area*  of  alfalfa  in  Ontario,  .\ceorditig  to  report* 
received  in  ]',)\'i,  and  in  each  of  the  ycarit  8ince  then,  there  hax  becu  an  average 
ot  168,014  acrei*  of  alfalfa  gn)wn  in  thin  Province  annually.  The  M-arcity  of  MH-d 
o{  i'  e  right  kind*  of  alfalfa  ia  prolwbly  the  gratent  hindrance  to  a  decided  in- 
crease In  alfalfa  production  in  Ontario  at  the  present  time,  KfTort*  are  being 
made  ij  encourage  the  more  abundant  growth  of  teed  of  the  hardy  alfalfao.  In 
all  but  unfavorable  yeara  this  need  can  Iw  grown  very  profltahly. 


EXPERIMENT.S  WITH  ALFALFA. 


Within  the  pant  twenty-eight  years  a  large  amount  of  experimental  work  has 
been  conducted  in  the  growing  of  alfalfa  in  the  Department  of  Field  Iluibandry 
at  the  Ontario  Agricultural  College.  The  College  farm  \»  located  inland  about 
thirty  mile*  from  Lake  Ontario,  sixty  mileg  from  I.«ke  Erie,  and  se-enty  milc» 
from  Ijike  Huron,  and  at  an  elevation  of  740  feet  above  the  level  of  liake  Ontario, 
and  of  1.100  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  total  rainfall  at  Guelph  for  the  six  growing  months,  from  April  to 
Septemlier  inclusive,  was  17.8  inches  in  1919,  21.9  inches  in  1918,  25.3  inches  in 
1!>17,  11.-i  inches  in  1916,  22.7  inches  in  1915,  16.1  inches  in  1914,  and  17.1 
indies  in  the  average  of  the  past  twenty  years.  The  U)tal  rainfall  in  the  whole 
Province  for  the  six  corresponding  months  was  16.2  inches  in  th->  average  of  the 
p.ist  thirty--;ever  years. 

A  portion  of  Vne  experimental  grounds  at  the  College  has  a  gentle  slope 
towards  the  south,  another  portion  towards  the  north,  and  e  part  of  the  land  is 
Cuinparatively  level.  The  soil  in  the  trial  grounds  in  which  most  of  the  experi- 
ments with  alfalfa  were  conducted  is  what  migh^  e  termed  an  average  clay  loam. 
The  itottom  lands  are  tile  drained  and  contain  rather  more  vegetable  matter  than 
the  higher  portions  which  have  a  natural  drainage.  Hardy  varieties  of  alfalfa 
lia\e  ;jrown  well  on  all  parts  of  the  field  except  on  the  low  land,  which  will  not 
permit  of  being  underdrained  to  8  groater  depth  than  eighteen  or  twenty  inches. 
On  this  lojv  land,  which  has  a  <ve»^  .hmil,  the  alfalfa  does  not  usually  live  for 
more  than  two  seasons. 

The  plots  of  the  different  alfalfa  experimenis  have  varied  iii  ^ize  according 
to  tile  requirements  of  the  tests,  but  the  individual  plots  comprising  any  one  test 
luive  1  een  exactly  alike  in  shape  and  in  size  and  as  nearly  as  possible  in  uniformity 
of  soil.  LJach  crop  produced  on  eve  v  plot  has  been  weighed  in  the  field  four  times, 
once  immediately  on  being  cut  and  when  green,  and  three  times  in  the  condition 
of  cured  hay.  The  yields  per  acre  have  been  determined  from  the  actual  yields 
of  the  plots  in  all  cases.  It  ."  -  scarcely  necessary  to  state  that  great  care  has  been 
exercised  in  connection  with  the  details  of  each  experiment. 


SIXTY-SIX  ClTTINfJS  OF  ALFALFA  IN  TSVKNTY  TWO  VIAIIS. 

In  emh  "f  tho  |Mwt  twenty-four  yoar*  experimentH  Ihvp  Ir'iii  oinliuteiJ  in 
growing  alfalfa  in  the  experimental  grounds  at  (iuclpli.  Tlip  rosult-  f<.r  1W>'J 
and  for  1D05  were  not  recorded  in  »urti'  Hit  detail  to  pfrmit  of  tin  ir  hciii!'  re- 
ported. For  the  other  year*,  however,  accurate  determination!!  were  made.  A 
number  of  dilTerent  seeding*  are  represented.  Kach  seeding  took  place  in  the 
spring  of  tho  yen  by  sowing  from  eighteen  to  twenty  poundu  of  alfalfa  »eod  p«'r 
•ere,  which  was  usually  sown  in  combiiiattun  with  a  grain  crop,  such  as  Imrley, 
at  the  rate  of  one  bushel  per  acre. 

The  following  table  gives  yields  per  '-'•e  of  different  cuttings  of  green  alfalfa 
and  of  cured  hay  produced  in  each  of  twe..ty-two  years: 


1 

OreenCrop 

1 

Hay 

Firnt 

Hecotxi 

Third 

Fourth 

Total 

Fint 

Heroiid 

Third 

Fourth  ; 

T'.l.  : 

Cuttina 

Cutting 

Cutting 

Cutting 

Cutting 

Cutting 

Cuttiug 

Cutting 

Tons 

Tons 

•'  -ns 

Tons 

Tons 

Tons 

Tons 

Tons 

Tons 

Tons 

IMM 

9.90 

6.47 

.06 

2.(» 

22.-55 

3.08 

1.91 

•  1.29 

.65 

H.Ui 

1W7 

12.04 

6.61 

4.42 

.00 

22.08 

3.59 

1.66 

1.23 

.INI 

6..')8 

\fm 

9.71 

6.85 

2.64 

.00 

18.20 

2.30 

1.75 

.63 

.00 

4.68 

lUOO 

11.93 

6.00 

1.60 

.00 

19.53 

2.33 

1.47 

.80 

.(Ml 

4.60 

1901 

9.70 

2.20 

7.49 

.00 

19.39 

2.03 

1  00 

1.60 

.mi 

4.53 

1902 

13.3S 

8.69 

2.96 

.00 

25. 0(* 

2.50 

2.02 

.64 

.00 

5.06 

190B 

13.10 

8.63 

2.75 

.00 

24.38 

2.50 

2.09 

.67 

.00 

5.26 

1904 

-    12.45 

9.35 

4.00 

.00 

:5.80 

3.40 

2.50 

1.08 

.00 

6.<W 

1900 

9.78 

0.60 

4.85 

.00 

21.23 

2.55 

1.13 

.58 

.!I0 

4.26 

1907 

14.56 

3.95 

.00 

.00 

18.50 

2.95 

l.ai 

.00 

.00 

4.00 

1908 

9.70 

6.76 

3.73 

.00 

20.18 

2.50 

1.15 

.75 

.00 

4.40 

1909 

8.88 

4.56 

.84 

.00 

14.08 

2.62 

1.40 

.14 

.00 

4.00 

1910 

16.08 

3.88 

4.76 

.00 

23.72 

2.94 

.Ml 

1.32 

.00 

5.06 

1911 

8.00 

1.80 

1.36 

.00 

11.16 

l.?*- 

.34 

.30 

.00 

2.40 

1912 

9.48 

4.68 

4.72 

.00 

18.88 

2.08 

.99 

.56 

.00 

3.63 

1913 

9.00 

2.96 

2..i3 

.00 

14.29 

2.66 

s<8 

.68 

.00 

4.22 

1914 

7.64 

1.61 

4.28 

.00 

13.53 

2.32 

' 

1.02 

.00 

3.88 

191.5 

10.63 

6.06 

6.92 

.00 

23.61 

3.07 

1.63 

00 

5.91 

1916 

13.29 

6.86 

2.40 

.00 

22.55 

3.10 

> 

.83 

.<I0 

5.53 

1917 

12.04 

5.54 

2.60 

.00 

20.18 

.'.40 

\     A. 

.90 

.00 

4.80 

1918 

2.38 

1.98 

2.00 

.00 

6.3( 

M 

.60 

.66 

.00 

1.90 

1919 

6.20 

1.84 

2.12 

.00 

9.16 

:  60 

.64 

.92 

.00 

3.16 

Ave. 

22 

10.36 

5.08 

3.. 31 

.v 

18.83 

;!> 

1.28 

.82 

.03 

4.62 

Yrs. 

The  average  dates  of  cutting  for  the  twenty-two  years  were  June  '<J3rd  for 
the  first,  July  30th  for  the  second,  and  September  17th  for  the  third. 

In  each  of  twenty  years  the  alfalfa  gave  three  cuttings  per  annum,  in  1907 
two  cuttings,  and  in  1896  four  cuttings  were  produc  a  in  the  one  season.  The 
spring  of  1896  opened  up  very  early  and  that  of  1907  very  late. 

The  yield  of  alfalfa  hay  per  acre  amounted  to  over  six  tons  in  each  of  three 
years,  between  five  and  si.\  tons  in  each  ot  five  years,  between  four  and  five  tons 
in  each  of  nine  years,  and  less  than  four  tons  in  each  of  five  years. 

The  results  show  that  on  the  average  the  first  crop  of  the  season  was  about 
double  the  yield  of  the  second,  and  that  t'  ,•  second  was  about  one  and  one-lialf 
times  that  of  the  third.  In  some  years  the  yields  of  alfalfa  per  acre  were  two 
or  three  times  as  large  as  those  of  other  years.    The  average  annual  production 


of  alfalfa  for  the  twenty-two  year  period  was  about  nineteen  tons  of  green  crop 
and  fully  four  and  one-half  tons  cf  hay  per  acre. 

The  green  alfalfa  furnished  on  an  average  24.G  per  cent,  of  its  weight  of 
dried  hay. 

ALFALFA  AND  ITS  DIFFERENT  SPECIES. 

Alfalfa  is  frequently  called  lucerne,  and  botanically  belongs  to  the  leguniin- 
osffi  family  of  plants.  It  is  not  a  clover,  but  both  are  legumes.  The  scientific 
name  of  the  common  alfalfa  is  Medicago  sativa  and  that  of  the  common  red  clover 
Trifolium  pratense. 

Alfalfa  is  said  to  have  been  a  native  of  Western  Asia  and  its  cultivation  by 
Greeks  and  Romans  goes  back  for  upwards  of  two  thousand  years.  It  has  been 
extensively  grown  in  the  regions  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  its  cultivation  has 
been  extended  to  many  of  the  other  parts  of  the  world.  At  the  time  of  the 
Spanish  invasion  the  common  alfalfa  was  introduced  into  Mexico,  and  in   1854 


Alfalfa  plants  of  an  upright  growth  at  the  right,  and  of  a 
spreading  habit  of  growth  at  the  left. 


into  California.    It  is  now  grown  very  extensively  in  the  Central-western  States. 

The  number  of  species  of  alfalfa  which  have  been  brought  into  cultivation 
are  indeed  limited.  Four  different  species  have  been  under  test  in  our  trial 
grounds  in  each  of  the  past  eleven  years.  A  brief  description  of  each  of  these 
species  is  here  presented. 

Common  or  violet  alfalfa  {Medicago  sativa)  is  the  species  which  has  been 
grown  extensively  for  centuries  in  some  of  the  comparatively  warm  countries  of 
the  world.  It  is  this  type  of  alfalfa  which  is  grown  almost  entirely  in  Central 
America,  and  in  Mexico  and  also  in  Texas,  California,  Utah,  Colorado,  Nebraska 
and  Kansas,  and  in  other  southern  and  central  S'^ates  of  the  American  Union. 
The  plants  of  the  common  alfalfa  have  an  upright  growth  and  numerous  stems 
which  grow  from  the  crowns  of  the  roots.  The  flowers  are  violet  in  color,  the 
coloring  matter  appearing  in  different  degrees  of  density,  extending  from  a  com- 
paratively deep  to  a  very  pale  violet,  the  latter  being  almost  white.  The  .seed 
pods  are  coiled  in  two  or  three  spirals,  the  seeds  are  kidney-shaped,  and  are  about 
one-twelfth  inch  in  length. 

Variegated  alfalfa  (Medicago  media)  is  supposed  to  be  a  natural  cross  between 
the  Medicago  sativa  and  the  Medicago  falcata.     The  plants  me  nu.st'v  uinight, 


but  some  have  a  spreading  habit  of  growth.  The  flowers  are  variegated  m  color, 
and  besides  the  violet,  include  shades  of  blue,  green  and  yellow,  and  various  blends 
of  these  with  each  other,  and  with  violet.  The  seed  of  the  variegated  closely 
resembles  that  of  the  common  alfalfa.  ,    ,     -n  i 

Yellow  lucerne  {Medicago  falcata)  grows  wild  in  some  of  the  European  and 
the  Asiatic  countries,  and  is  considered  to  be  very  hardy.  It  generally  has  a 
spreading  habit  of  growth,  the  stems  being  somewhat  slender,  and  the  leaves  rather 
narrow.  The  flowers  are  yellow  in  color,  the  seed  pods  are  sickle-shaped,  and  the 
seeds  are  somewhat  smaller  than  those  of  the  common  alfalfa. 

Hairy  Stemmed  Yellow  lucerne  {Medicago  ruthenica)  has  a  spreading  habit 
of  growth,  and  yellow  flowers  with  seed  pods  which  are  flat  and  somewhat  oval 
The  seed  is  brownish  in  color,  distinctly  lobed,  and  is  considerably  larger  than 

that  of  the  common  alfalfa.  ,,    ,  ,  ,     ioiq  o„,i  fn,. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  yield  of  hay  per  acre  for  1919  »°d^°; 
the  ten  year  period.    Of  the  different  species  there  were  t^ree  pots  of  the  first 
two  plot   of  both  the  second  and  the  third  and  only  one  plot  of  the  last.    AH  o 
the  ten  years'  crops  came  from  the  seedings  which  took  place  in  the  spring  of 
1909: 


Species 


Violet  or  Common  .\lfalfa 

(Medicago  sativa) 
Variegated  Alfalfa 

i  Medicago  media ) 

Yellow  Lucerne 

{Medicago  falcata) 
Hairy  Stemmed  Yellow  Lucerne 

iMedicago  ruthenica) 


Source  of  Seed 


United  States 
(Colorado,  Utah  and  Nebraska) 

Ontario  . 

( Welland  and  Lincoln  Counties) 

Russia 
Russia 


Yield  of  Hay  per  .Acre 
191'J      Averatte  10  years 

Tons 
1.01 

3.20 
2.24 

.10 


The  tabulated  results  show  that  the  Common  alfalfas  are  comparatively  low, 
and  those  for  1919  indicate  that  only  a  few  of  the  plants  are  now  alive.  The  seed 
was  obtained  ffom  Colorado  and  from  Utah,  two  of  the  great  alfalfa  seed  pro- 
ducing States  of  the  American  Union.  If  the  history  of  this  seed  traces  back  to 
California,  Mexico,  Central  America  and  Spain  it  will  be  seen  that  this  particular 
alfalfa  has  been  grown  in  warm  climates  for  hundreds  of  years.  Various  other 
tests  also  show  us  that  seed  of  this  character  produces  plants  which  lack  hardiness 
when  grown  in  Ontario. 

The  average  results  of  tho  Variegated  alfalfa  surpassed  each  of  the  other  three 
species  in  yield  of  hay  per  acre  in  the  average  of  ten  years.  The  two  lots  of  the 
Ontario  Variegated  alfalfa  in  this  test  belong  to  the  strain  which  has  been  grown 
in  the  Province  since  1871.  It  seems  apparent  that  at  least  some  of  he  plants 
of  the  Variegated  alfalfa  inherited  hardiness  from  the  falcata  parent.  Within  the 
past  forty-eight  years,  during  the  period  of  growth  of  this  particular  kind  of 
alfalfa  in  Ontario,  it  is  quite  probable  that  the  tender  plants  have  been  eliminated 
and  that  the  more  hardy  ones  have  survived  by  natural  selection.         ,     ,      ,. 

The  Yellow  lucerne  shows  a  fairly  good  yield,  which  is  due  to  the  hardiness 
of  the  plants  more  than  to  the  vigor  of  growth. 

The  Hairy  Stemmed  Yellow  lucerne  gave  very  low  yields  throughout  owing 
to  the  comparatively  small  growth  of  the  individual  plaiit.s  rather  than  to  the  lack 


10 

of  hardiness.    This  species  appears  to  hr.ve  no  particular  value  as  a  fami  crop  but 
may  prove  of  service  for  the  plant  breeder. 


VARIETIES  OF  .\LFALFA. 

Alfalfas  have  obtained  their  varietal  names  from  the  countries  in  which  they 
have  been  grown  for  a  length  of  time,  from  the  men  who  have  been  instrumental 
in  their  introduction  or  in  their  improvement,  from  the  color  of  their  Howers,  etc. 
There  are  many  of  these  so-called  varieties  of  alfalfa.  While  some  of  these  different 
kinds  do  not  vary  from  each  other  to  any  great  extent  from  a  botanical  standpoint, 
there  are  some  marked  variations  in  character  of  growth,  in  hardiness,  and  in  pro- 
ductiveness. Information  along  these  lines  is  of  great  importance  in  connection 
with  alfalfa  production  in  Ontario. 

A  Tex  Years'  Test  of  Tex  Varieties  of  Alfalfa. 

An  experiment  was  started  at  the  College  in  the  spring  of  1909  in  which  a 
number  of  varieties  of  alfalfa  were  sown  at  the  rate  of  twenty  pounds  of  seed  per 
acre,  with  barley  as  a  nurse  crop.  This  experiment  included  some  of  the  most 
noted  varieties  of  alfalfa  which  were  known  in  Canada  and  in  the  United  States, 
and  also  others  which  were  not  so  well  known,  except  in  an  experimental  way. 
As  there  were  ten  lots  of  Sand  lucerne  from  Europe,  four  lots  of  Common  alfalfa 
from  the  central-western  States,  three  lots  of  Grimm  alfalfa  from  Minnesota  and 
Nebraska,  and  two  lots  each  of  the  Variegated  alfalfa  from  Ontario,  and  of  the 
Turkestan  alfalfa  from  Asia,  the  results  from  these  different  lots  of  tlie  separate 
varieties  were  averaged,  and  these  averages,  as  well  as  the  results  of  other  varieties 
taken  separately,  are  presented  for  each  of  the  past  ten  }< -.)!■<.  It  is  important 
to  note  that  in  the  autumn  of  the  first  season  of  this  experiment  there  was  from 
83  to  95  per  cent,  of  a  perfect  stand  of  plants  on  each  plot.  The  results  have  been 
affected  principally  by  the  comparative  hardiness  of  the  different  varieties,  and 
from  this  standpoint  are  particularly  interesting. 


Average  Annual  Yield  of  Hay  per  Acre  (tons) 

Varieties 

Color  of 
Flowers 

No.  of 
Tests 

Source 
of  Seed 

Ave- 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

10 
Yrs. 

Grimm 

Variegated 

3 

Minnesota 
Nebraska 

.H.21 

2.42 

4.73 

4.13 

3.65 

5.19 

4.79 

3.-56 

1.69 

1 

! 

2.«3lS.60 

Ontario 

! 

Variegated 

Variegated 

2 

Ontario 

.3.. 50 

2.12 

4.5013. .5813. .34 

5.20 

4.. 56 

3.44'  .48 

1.25  3.20 

Baltic 

Variegated 

1 

S.  Dakota 

.'J.  10 

2.52 

4.08 

3..S6J3..52 

5.36 

4,00 

3.24    .12 

1. as  3.12 

Euroiiean 

1 

Variegated 

Variegated 

9 

Euroi* 

4.04 

2.38 

4.91 

4.18 

2.74 

4.96 

3,80 

2. 85 

,40 

.823.11 

MoDgolian  . 

Violet 

1 

Asia 

3.20 

2.12 

4.92 

2.72 

2.36 

4.84 

2.80 

2.64 

1  84 

2.95I3.04 

Turkestan . 

Violet 

2 

Asia 

3.33 

1.74 

4.44 

3.7012.98 

5.08 

3.70 

3.18 

.48 

1.08'2.97 

Sand 

Variegated 

10 

Europe 

3.04 

2.2« 

4.45|3.6J 

2.64 

4.77 

3.85 

2.87 

.35 

.80;2.87 

|1 

Ontario 

3.20 

.80 

2.. 52 

1.84 

1.80 

3.60 

1.92 

2.(H) 

.04 

.34il.81 

Moiitana 

2.3.i 

.96 

1.64 

1.48 

1.88 

3.. 52 

2. 48 

2.16 

13 

.211 .68 

(Utah 
)  Colorado 

[ 

Comuion . . . 

Violet 

4 

2.31 

.71 

.95 

.99 

1.53 

2.61 

.85 

l.ll 

.02 

.041.11 

j  Nebraska 

i            ! 

'Kansas 

i         ■ 

I    1 

Texas 

2.0.5 

.52 

.76 

.88 

1.64 

2.76 

.53 

,88 

00 

.001  IK) 

Peruvian  .. 

Violet 

1 

South 

America 

2.60 

.04 

.72 

.08 

.09 

.32 

.05 

.00 

00 

00 

39 

Arabian  . . . 

Violet 

1 

Asia 

.90 

.02 

.00 

.00    .00 

I 

.00 

.00 

.00 

.00 

.00 

.09 

11 


It  ^liould  be  dearly  understood  that  all  the  crops  reported  in  tlie  table  here 
presented  were  produced  from  the  one  seeding,  which  took  place  in  the  :-piin^'  of 
1909. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  yields  of  alfalfa  vary  greatly  from  year  t;>  year, 
even  from  the  one  seeding.  These  differences  are  largely  due  to  seasonal  con- 
ditions. It  will  be  noticed,  for  instance,  that  practically  all  varieties  ])roduied 
larger  yields  of  hay  in  1912  than  in  1911,  in  1915  than  in  1914,  and  in  l!il9  limn 
in  1918.  The  results  indicate  the  large  amount  of  winter  killing  which  took  plu.e 
in  the  winter  of  191T-18,  the  weather  conditions  of  which  were  unusually  severe. 

Of  the  ten  varieties  of  alfalfa  here  reported  live  had  variegatod  and  live  \uM 
flowers.  With  only  one  exception  the  variegated  surpassed  the  violet  flowered 
varieties  in  productiveness. 

In  addition  to  the  testing  of  one  or  more  lots  of  each  of  the  ten  varielie-i  uf 
alfalfa,  in  plots  of  equal  size,  another  test  was  made  with  e.\actly  the  same  kiids 
of  alfalfa,  by  planting  the  seed  of  each  lot  in  two  rows  and  leaving  the  plants 
at  equal  distances  apart  in  the  rows.  This  test  has  also  been  continued 
period  of  ten  years,  definite  information  being  taken  annually  regarding  tli 

vidual  plants.  •         i     , 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  the  percentage  vanegiited,  the  <-.'m- 
parative  growth  of  the  plants  early  in  the  spring  and  the  percentage  of  ii\ing 
plants  in  each  of  the  past  eleven  years,  including  1909.  the  spring  in  whi.h  the 
feed  was  jdanted  : 


ni-  a 

iiiili- 


Per  Ceiit 


Cumpara- 


V.irieties 


Vunefiated     «„„;„„• 


Per  Cent,  of  L'.v  riK  Hhiiits 


Flowers 

I  («  years) 


Grimm 

Oiititrio  Varienated . . 

Baltic  

Kurop.'aM  V'ari  g  ■  ted 

Mongolian 

Turkestan 

Sand  

Common 

Peruvian   

Arabian   


34 
19 
3« 
29 

1 
29 
1 
0 
0 


Spring 
(Jrowth 
(Tjviirs) 


96 
94 
91 
9.S 
48 
84 
100 
64 


i'.m 


100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 


19IOil911 


100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

9B 

100 

!)9 

94 

8 


97 

96 

89 

76 

100 

81 

88 

79 

8 

0 


1912 


91 

96 

86 

71 

100 

6;^ 

87 

62 

0 

(I 


1913 


l914  19|.'ijl9l6J917;l9IS|l919 


— 

.__ 

--- 

66 

hi 

.53  ' 

79 

68 

43 

69 

.16 

44 

39 

28 

22 

92 

92 

92 

3(i 

Xi 

30 

40 

27 

24 

20 

8 

« 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2<) 

17 

11 

4 

64 

10 

3 

0 

0 

0 


J) 

16 

II 

4 

ti4 
10 
3 
0 
0 
0 


The  foregoing  table  shows  that  each  of  the  Variegated  alfalfas  made  a  more 
rapid  growth  in  the  spring  of  the  year  than  any  of  the  violet  \)wered  varietic  s.  The 
slowest  growth  was  made  by  the  Mongolian.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  Common, 
the  Turkestan  and  the  Mongolian  varieties  liad  a  slight  percentage  of  variegated 
flowers  as  an  impurity. 

In  regard  to  the  percentage  of  living  plants,  it  is  interesting  to  i:"tc  that  up 
to  the  end  of  the  eighth  year  the  Ontario  Variegated  had  a  larger  j)er(entage  than 
any  other  variety,  with  the  exception  of  the  Mongolian.  In  the  last  year  of  the  test, 
however,  the  three  varieties  which  still  retained  the  greatest  perccnlape  of  li\iiig 
plants  were  the  Mongolian,  the  Grimm  and  the  Ontario  Variegated.  There  were 
no  living  plants  of  the  Arabian  after  the  second,  the  Peruvian  after  the  third,  and 
the  Common  after  the  ninth  ^year.  Although  the  Mongolian  proved  to  be  the 
hardiest  of  all  the  varieties  under  test,  it  will  be  seen  by  the  former  table  that 
it  occupied    fifth   place   in    average   yield   of   hay    per   acre.     The   two    varieties 


12 

which  made  comparatively  high  results  in  both  yield  of  hay  per  acre  and  in  per- 
centage  of  living  plants,  were  the  Grimm  and  the  Ontario  Variegated. 

The  Grimm  alfalfa,  which  gave  the  largest  average  yield  of  hay  per  acre,  is 
becoming  favorably  known  in  Canada  and  in  the  Northern  States.  This  variety 
has  an  interesting  history.  It  received  its  name  from  Kulsheim  Grimm,  who 
brought  alfalfa  seed  with  him  when  he  moved  from  Baden,  Germany,  to  the  State 
of  Minnesota  where  he  sowed  the  seed  on  his  farm  in  the  spring  of  1858.  The 
Grimm  alfalfa  is  still  raised  in  the  neighborhood  of  Grimm's  old  home  in  Carver 
County,  Minnesota.  It  was  evidently  an  important  strain  of  Variegated  alfalfa 
which  Mr.  Grimm  brought  from  Germany,  and  through  the  natural  selection  of 
the  past  sixty-one  years  many  of  the  tender  plants  have  been  destroyed  and  only 
the  hardy  ones  have  withstood  the  eevere  winters  of  Minnesota.  In  the  autsmn 
of  1913  it  was  the  privilege  of  the  writer  to  visit  the  States  of  Wisconsin,  Minne- 
sota, South  Dakota,  North  Dakota,  Montana,  Washington  and  Idaho,  and  to  study 
at  first  hand  the  value  of  the  Grimm  alfalfa  in  these  Northern  States.  It  is  making 
a  uniformly  good  record  throughout,  and  the  demand  for  seed  is  much  greater 
than  the  supply  which  is  as  yet  only  produced  in  a  limited  quantity. 

Ontario  Variegated  alfalfa,  which  comes  second  in  yield  of  hay  per  acre,  also 
has  an  interesting  history,  which  the  writer  has  recently  been  abl*"  to  trace.  In 
the  year  of  1871,  Nathaniel  Bethel,  a  farmer  and  stock-man  living  in  Welland 
County,  Ontario,  went  to  New  York  to  purchase  an  importod  sheep.  When  there 
he  secured  from  the  shepherd,  who  brought  the  sheep  across  the  ocean,  two  potinds 
of  alfalfa  seed  which  came  from  Lorraine,  a  tract  of  country  which  was  transferred 
from  France  to  Germany  in  the  same  year.  Mr.  Bethel  sowed  the  alfalfa  seed 
on  a  gentle  slope  of  a  chy  field  on  his  farm  in  the  spring  of  1872.*  The  alfalfa 
area  was  increased  from  home  grown  seed,  and,  in  1877,  Mr.  Bethel  raised  and 
sold  about  seventy  bushels  of  seed  produced  on  less  than  ten  acres.  He  sent  a 
sample  of  the  seed  to  the  International  Exhibition  in  Paris,  for  which  a  diploma 
was  awarded.  This  strain  of  alfalfa  has  given  excellent  satisfaction  and  has 
spread  in  several  counties,  particularly  Lincoln,  Welland  and  Haldimand.  The 
Ontario  Variegated  is  still  grown  on  the  same  farm  in  which  it  was  sown  forty- 
eight  years  ago.  There  are  several  fanners  in  the  vicinity  of  Mr.  Bethel's  old  home 
who  have  never  grown  any  other  variety  except  this  Variegated  alfalfa. 

Dr.  Colver,  who  was  both  a  physician  and  a  farmer,  and  who  lived  in  Lincoln 
County,  Ontario,  imported  fifty  pounds  of  alfalfa  seed  from  Baden,  Germany,  in 
1875.  Dr.  Colver  sowed  wenty  pounds  of  this  seed  on  his  own  farm  and  divided 
the  rest  of  the  seeH  amongst  neighboring  farmers.  It  is  quite  probable  that  at 
least  a  part  of  the  V^ariegated  alfalfa  which  is  now  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  Wel- 
landport  and  Silverdale,  Lincoln  County,  Ontario,  traces  back  to  the  seed  intro- 
ducd  by  Dr.  Colver. 

In  the  summer  of  1912  we  carefully  examined  the  alfalfa  fields  on  about  one 
bundred  and  fifty  Ontario  farms,  at  the  time  when  the  blossoms  could  be  seen  to 
the  beet  advantage.  Nearly  all  of  the  fields  examined  in  Welland  and  Lincoln 
Counties  and  some  of  those  examined  in  Haldimand  County  were  highly  variegated. 
In  some  of  the  other  counties,  however,  where  the  seed  had  been  purchased  from 
seed  merchants,  98  to  100  per  cent,  of  the  flowers  were  violet,  and  scarcely  a  trace 
of  the  Variegated  alfalfa  could  be  found.  This  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  greatest 
reasons  why  there  are  so  many  failures  in  alfalfa  growing  in  many  parts  of  Ontario 
and  why  such  a  large  number  of  old  fields  of  alfalfa  are  to  be  found  in  Welland, 
Lincoln  and  Haldimand  Counties  which  have  been  cropping  continuously  from  the 
time  they  were  sown  twelve,  fifteen,  eighteen,  and  in  some  instances  even  more  than 


18 


twenty  years  ago.  It  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  that  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  Ontario  Variegated  alfalfa,  at  the  present  time,  is  one  of  the  hardiert 
and  the  most  suitable  varieties  for  use  in  this  Province. 

The  Baltic  variety  of  alfalfa  was  found  growing  at  Baltic,  South  Dakota,  from 
which  place  it  received  its  name.  On  investigation  this  alfalfa  was  found  to  have 
a  history  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Grimm  variety.  It  is  now  believed  that  the 
Baltic  and  the  Grimm  originated  from  the  same  source. 

The  European  variegated  alfalfas  were  obtained  from  different  parts  of 
France,  Germany  and  Roumania  and  included  such  kinds  as  Old  Prankish,  Prov- 
ence, Pfalzer  and  German  Blue.  The  highest  yielder  of  this  group  has  been  the 
Alt-deutsche  Frankische,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  progenitor  of  our  hardy 
Grimm  alfalfa,  which  originally  came  from  Baden,  Germany. 

The  Mongolian  alfalfa  was  obtained  from  Mongolia  in  the  north-east  of  Asia 
through  the  kindness  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  Although 
this  is  not  a  variegated  variety,  it  has  given  larger  yields  per  acre  than  any  of 
the  other  violet  flowered  varieties.  It  will  be  observed  that  it  withstood  better 
than  any  other  variety  the  severe  winte'  of  1917-18.  In  the  ninth  and  tenth  year, 
after  seeding,  it  produced  a  higher  yield  of  hay  than  any  other  variety  of  alfalfa 
under  experiment.  It  is  peculiar  in  its  habit  of  growth,  being  one  of  the  slowest 
to  fctart  in  the  spring,  and  in  its  recovery  after  the  first  crop  of  the  season  ie 
harvested. 

The  Turkestan  alfalfa  came  second  in  yield  of  the  violet  flowered  varietiea. 
It  is  known  that  the  seed  of  these  particular  lots  of  Turkestan  alfalfa  came  from 
Turkestan,  in  Asia.  According  to  other  experiments  which  we  have  conducted, 
it  appears  to  be  rather  difiicult  to  buy  true  Turkestan  alfalfa  seed  commercially 
in  this  country.  ' 

The  seed  of  the  Sand  lucernes  included  in  this  test  came  from  France, 
Germany  a-id  the  United  States.  The  special  strain  of  Sand  lucerne  which  made 
the  most  satisfactory  returns  was  obtained  from  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture  under  the  number  21269  and  was  originally  obtained  from  Germany. 
The  true  Sand  lucerne  has  highly  variegated  blossoms.  Unfortunately,  however, 
the  seed  of  this  variety  seems  to  be  quite  unreliable  when  purchased  in  America. 

All  Common  alfalfas,  the  seed  of  which  was  obtained  in  Canada  and  in  the 
United  States,  gave  comparatively  low  results.  It  is  interesting  to  note,  however, 
that  of  the  seven  lots  of  Common  alfalfa  the  source  of  seed  seemed  to  exert  a 
marked  influence  in  the  productiveness  of  the  crops.  The  Common  alf.-<lfa  seed 
which  was  obtained  from  Chinook,  Mont.,  was  considered  by  the  United  Statea 
Department  of  Agriculture  to  be  the  hardiest  of  the  Common  alfalfas  grown  in 
the  United  States.  The  rejults  show,  however,  that  in  average  yield  per  acre  the 
Common  alfalfa  of  Montana  was  surpassed  by  the  Common  alfalfa  of  Ontario  by 
one-eighth  ton  and  by  the  Ontario  Variegated  alfalfa  by  one  and  one-h.:     ^nns. 

The  Peruvian  alfalfa,  obtained  from  Peru  in  South  America,  is  c-  y  un- 
suited  for  cultivation  in  Ontario.  In  the  southern  and  south-western  stt  v  ,  how- 
ever, it  has  done  exceptionally  well,  outyielding  practically  all  of  the  other  com* 
mercial  varieties  of  alfalfa. 

The  Av.tbian  alfalfa,  obtained  from  Southern  Asia,  is  the  most  tender  variety 
which  we  have  ever  grown  at  the  College.  Its  use  lias  not  become  general  even 
in  the  southern  states. 


!| 


14 


Othbb  Expebiuents  With  Vabieties  of  Alfalfa. 

In  the  spring  of  1$>05,  an  experiment  with  thirty-three  varieties  and  strains 
of  alfalfa  was  started.  The  experiment  was  conductei  in  duplicate.  The  mne 
tender  varieties  were  winter  killed  in  a  comparatively  short  time.  Six  of  the  plots, 
however,  were  cropped  in  1919  for  the  fourteenth  year.  This  experiment  did  not 
include  such  varieties  as  the  Grimm,  the  Ontario  Variegated  and  the  Sand,  which 
were  scarcely  known  at  the  time  the  experiment  was  started.  The  highest  average 
yields  of  hay  per  acre  per  annum  were  produced  by  three  Turkestan  alfalfas,  !ie 
highest  yielder,  (3.0  tons)  coming  from  Khiva,  located  in  Turkey  in  Asia,  the 
second  highesit,  (2.8  tons)  from  Samarkand,  in  Russfan  Turkestan,  and  the  third 
highest;  (2.6  tons)  from  Sairam,  located  in  Chinese  Turkestan.  These  lots  of 
alfalfa  were  obtained  directly  from  these  countries  through  the  I'nited  States 
Departiiiciit  of  .Agriculture  at  Washington. 


Plots  of  Hardy  Alfalfas,  ineludlnR  Grimm,  Ontario  VarieRated  and  Sand  Varieties 
sown  with  a  nurse  crop  of  ba'ley  In  the  spring  of  1912,  and  from  which  21 
crops  were  removed  previous  to  the  autumn  of  1919. 

In  1909.  ail  experilile•>^  ronsisting  of  twelve  plots  coi  luctcd  in  duplioato  and 
ineludiiiir  ditTerent  strains  of  hardy  varieties,  such  as  Grimm.  Turkestan  and  Sand, 
was  started.  This  experiment  was  continued  for  four  years.  In  tlio  averajip  results 
of  the  ei^ht  separate  tests  conducted  in  the  four-year  period  it  was  found  that  in 
yield  of  hay  per  acre  per  annum  the  Grimm  alfulfa  from  Minnesota  came  first  with 
},.3  tons  and  the  Sand  lucenie  B.P.I.  No.  21269,  second,  with  4.9  tons. 

In  the  spring  of  1911,  another  experiment  was  started  and  continued  until 
191S  in  which  Grimm  and  Sand  alfalfas  were  compared  with  ii  common  violet 
varictv.  The  averajie  results  for  the  whole  period  show  the  followinj:  averag.T 
v';(.M<"of  hay  per  acre  per  annum:  Grimm,  from  Minnesota  4.3  tons.  Sand  B.P.T. 
Xo  21-?69.  4.1  tons  and  Common  violet  alfalfa  1.4  tons.  In  the  first  year  of  the 
pxperinient  the  Grimm  alfalfa  gave  5.3  tons  and  the  Common  nlfiilfi)  4.1  tons,  and 
ii   the  List  year  of  the  experiment  the  Grimn.  alfalfa  jiave  2.9  ton*  and  the  Common 


15 

alfalfa  .03  tons  of  hay  jier  acre.    This  i*  another  evidence  of  the  hardiiiciiH  of  the 
Grimm  alfalfa. 

In  the  spring  of  1912  still  another  experimei.t  was  starte'.l  to  which  three 
varieties  of  hardy  alfalfa  were  sown  seven  times  in  order  that  a  very  thorough 
test  might  be  made  regarding  the  comparative  values  of  the  varieties  under  test. 
This  experiment  has  .been  continued  to  the  present  tinie.  Each  plot  wan  cropped 
three  times  each  year.  In  the  seven-year  period,  therefore,  twenty-one  crops  were 
removed  from  each  plot  of  the  seven  separate  tests.  The  following  table  gives 
the  average  annual  yield  of  hay  per  acre  of  the  seven  tests  conducted  for  the  seven- 
year  period  with  each  of  the  three  varieties: 


Years 

Saiui 
(B.P.I.XoJil269.Germany) 

Ontario  Variegat*?!]                       (irlmiu 
( Wellaiid  County  .Ontario)    ( Kxeelsior.  .Minn..  L..S..V.) 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

Toiw 
3.52 
3.80 
5.81 
4.14 
S.OO 
1.70 
1.8S 

Tons 
3.84 
3.42 
6.45 
4.U2 
8.85 
1.3« 
1.85 

Tons 
3.43 
H.3M 
5.2« 
4.8:{ 
3.. 50 
2.iJ5 

A vi-riixe  7  yta rs . .  j                   3 . 27 

3.4<i 

3.(i8 

The  foregoing  results,  from  th-  tliri'c  varieties  of  ulfalfa  which  were  (iut?t..nd- 
iii<r  for  hardiness  in  former  experiments,  arc  luterestinj;  as  they  coml»ii:c  the  results 
ofl-even  separate  tests  in  each  of  the  seven  years.  Although  the  Ontario  \'uric,!,'atcd 
gave  the  hiirhcst  results  in  tlie  tirst  year  the  (irinini  alfalfa  made  tli<'  irrealcst  returns 
in  191i),  ai.d  in  the  average  for  the  whole  period.  It  will  thorcfon-  ho  soon  that 
of  the  various  tests  made  with  different  varietii's  uf  alfalfa  the  thnc  whi.h  have 
made  the  best  all-round  record  for  hay  production,  wiion  i.anliuess  and  yield  are 
both  taken  into  consideration,  are  the  (irinnn,  the  Ontario  \'ariegttte.l  and  tlio 
Sand  (B.P.I.  Xo.  21?69),  and  in  the  order  here  given. 


ALFALFA  PLANT  B1{P:KD1NC;. 

The  careful  testinfj  of  existing  varieties  and  strains  of  alfalfa  important  in 
securing  the  most  suitable  kinds  for  growing  on  tlie  farms  of  On  io.  Jt  is  also 
of  great  value  in  ascertaining  foundation  material  for  breeding  pur,,o8e5.  Tn  order 
to  do  the  vf  /  best  work  in  plant  breeding  it  is  very  desirable  to  have  the  most 
a.'curato  information  possible  regarding  the  material  already  available.  K\en  the 
))est  of  existing  varieties  possess  weaknesses.  To  improve  tlie  best  kinds  by  se- 
lection, and  when  necessary  by  cross-fertilization,  is  the  work  of  the  plant  breeder. 
Alfalfa.  owyi2  to  its  great  variations  in  plant  structure,  forms  a  prolific  field  for 
investigation,  with  ojiportunities  for  achievements  which  are  of  both  practical  and 

scienti  fie  value. 

Considerable  work  has  been  done  at  the  Ontario  Agricultural  College  with  the 
object  of  securing  hardv  alfalfas  suitable  for  hay  or  for  pasture  and  which  are  at 
the  same  time  good  producers  of  seed.     T'  itli  this  object  in  view  many  strains  of 


1« 


B 
05 


_■=  ^  M 


Qi         O  J  I 

5  »-  a,  02  _ 

si  s>«s: 
=  *•=      .§ 

s5«(§Ss 


IT 


An  IntereBtlM  Altalfa  plant,  showing  method  of  rt production  by  means  of  cr«P«nf 
root  Ss  This  was  the  original  plant  discovered  at  the  Ontario  Ajrtculfural 
CoUele  after  a  careful  study  of  thou«indg  of  plants  produced  from  .eet 
obtained  from  different  parts  of  tb«>  world. 


An  Alfalfa  plant  with  creeping  root  stalks  removed  from  one  of  the  plots  at  the 
College  in  the  tprlug  of  1920. 


18 

«lfalf«  hart  baen  tMtad  in  ploU  and  tbouanda  of  alfalfa  plants  havt  batn  itndiad 
individaaUy.  W«  are  obtaining  hardy  itraint  which  wa  balicTa  will  b«  of  raal 
atrrie*  to  th«  fannert  of  tha  Prorince. 

A  nnraaiy  plot  of  on*  acre,  with  planti  of  tha  Orinun,  tha  Baltic  and  tha 
Ontario  Variagatad  alfalfat  waa  aatabliihad  in  1918.  Theia  plimta  hara  been  grown 
at  equal  distance*  apart  in  order  to  giv»  them  the  lame  opportonitiei  for  derelop* 
ment  Some  of  the  moet  tender  plants  have  ditappeared.  Tha  remaining  plants 
are  being  carefully  studied  each  year  and  seed  is  being  secured  from  the  mo#t 
promising  specimens.  The  object  is  to  obtain  foundation  material  from  the  most 
desirable  plants  of  these  hardy  varieties  now  in  cultivation. 

A  little  packet  of  less  than  one  hundred  seeds  of  alfalfa,  which  came  originally 
from  Nor'  em  Norway,  has  furnished  some  interesting  material.  The  plants  are 
very  hara.v.  the  flowers  variegated,  but  the  yield  of  seed  is  not  abundant  These 
plants  resist  our  severe  winters  better  than  even  those  of  tha  Orimm  variety.  Wa 
now  have  hundreds  of  plants  of  this  strain,  and  seed  is  being  secured  from  those 
plants  which  are  making  the  highest  record. 

According  to  our  present  knowledge  the  Ontario  Agricultural  College  waa 
either  the  first  or  the  second  institution  bu  the  American  Continent  to  discover 
an  alfalfa  plant  which  -would  spread  by  means  of  cr<!eping  root  stalks  or  rhisomes. 
We  now  have  some  very  interesting  plants  which  spread  abundantly  from  the  under- 
ground stems.  These  plants,  however,  are  very  light  producers  of  seed,  but  it  is 
hoped  by  cross-fertilization  to  increase  their  seed  producing  powers. 

A  considerable  amount  of  work  has  been  done  to  prevent  natural  cross-ferti- 
lization by  enclosing  the  plants  in  cages  and  by  tripping  the  plants  artificially. 
Crosws  have  been  made  between  different  species,  varieties  and  strains  of  alfalfa 
and  attempts  have  been  made  at  the  hybridization  of  alfalfa  and  sweet  clover,  and 
also  of  alfalfa  and  black  meddick.  Mr.  William  Southworth,  when  engaged  in  this 
Department,  made  a  number  of  cross-pollinations  between  the  alfalfa  and  the 
black  meddick  with  the  object  of  securing  plants  which  would  naturally  pollinate 
more  readily  th^  does  the  alfalfa.  It  was  thought  that  this  cross  was  successful, 
but  in  studying  the  progeny  in  its  diiferent  generations  there  seems  to  be  no  appar- 
ent evidence  that  a  cross  between  these  two  types  of  plants  took  place. 

As  a  i-eault  of  our  plant  breeding  work  it  is  believed  that  in  the  near  future 
we  will  have  new  varieties  of  alfalfa  for  Ontario  which  will  surpass  in  various  ways 
those  kinds  which  are  nov  used  in  cultivation. 


ALFALFA  SEED  INOCULATION. 

That  leguminous  crops  such  as  alfalfa,  sweet  clover,  sainfoin,  red  clover, 
vetches,  pens  and  beans  thrive  best  when  they  are  grown  in  the  presence  of  legume 
bacteria  u  now  a  well  established  fact.  These  micro-organisms,  wHfen  present  in 
well  drained  fertile  "'1,  enter  the  roots  of  the  plants  forming  enlargements  or 
nodules  on  the  root  lese  very  minute  forms  of  life  make  use  of  the  free  nitrogen 
of  the  aUncn^phere  .vuich  is  thus  transferred  to  the  plants  making  them  moro 
valuable  in  food  constituents  and  in  fertilizing  materials.  Hone  of  the  other  plants 
except  the  legumes  can  make  use  of  the  atmospheric  nitrogen  in  this  way.  Each 
class  of  seed  requires  a  different  kind  of  culture.  It  is  possible  for  alfplfa  to  grow 
fairly  well  without  the  presence  of  theee  minute  forms  of  life  by  mat.  jg  use  of 
the  nitrogen  already  in  the  soil.      Their  presence,  however,  seems  to  have  the 


19 

dovbl*  value  of  incrauing  both  Um  qulitj  and  the  quantity  of  the  crop.  Wh«th«r 
or  not  the  proper  bacterial  forma  are  in  the  awl  can  be  aacertained  by  growing  a 
amall  amount  of  alfalfa  and  examining  the  roots  for  the  pretence  or  abience  of 
the  nodulei.  If  no  nodulee  are  preeent,  it  ie  quit«  evident  that  the  toil  ii  lacking 
the  proper  orgariinu.  These,  howeTer,  can  be  coii"eyed  to  the  toil  either  by  the 
application  of  inoculated  soil  from  other  field*  or  by  the  artificial  inoculation  of 
the  leed.  Extensive  experimental  work  has  shown  that  the  easiest  and  best  way 
is  to  inoculate  the  seed  with  the  necessary  bacteria.  For  fuller  information,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  Outario  Agricultural  Cnllege  Bulletin  No.  164. 

In  1897  experiments  in  the  inoculation  of  seeds  of  leguminous  crops  were 
conducted  at  our  College  with  nitro-cultnres  imported  from  Germany.  At  a  later 
date,  other  experiments  were  ■  'ucted  with  bacterial  preparationg  obtained  from 
Washington  and  rtill  later  with  those  produced  in  the  Bacteriolc  .al  Department 
of  our  own  College.  We  took  great  care  in  the  experiments  throughout  and  there 
was  no  marked  advantage  in  the  yields  of  the  crops  from  the  use  of  the  different 
cultures.  This  was  evidently  due  to  the  fact  that  the  soil  in  the  experimental 
grounds  was  already  well  inoculated  from  the  successful  growing  of  alfalfa  in  years' 
past.  Th-"i  was  made  quite  evident  from  the  abundance  of  tubercles  on  the  plants 
each  year.  In  one  experiment,  however,  which  was  conducted  in  duplicate  for  the 
four  years  from  1909  to  1912  inclusive,  about  seven-eiphths  of  the  ncparate  it  ' 
showed  some  increase  from  the  nitro-culture. 

The  Bacteriological  Department  of  the  Ontario  Agricultural  College  has  pre- 
pared and  distributed  legume  cultures  to  farmers  throughout  Canada  each  year 
since  1906.  In  each  of  the  ten  years  blank  forms  were  sent  with  the  cultures,  on 
which  the  farmers  were  requested  to  report  the  results  of  the  seed  inotulation  as 
to  whether  it  had  increased  the  crops. 

In  the  ten  year  period  27,750  cultures  were  sent  out  aui  the  reports  received 
showed  that  80  per  cent,  alfalfa  and  70  per  cent,  red  clover  gavj  increased  veturn* 
following  seed  inoculation. 


SOIL,  SEED  AND  SEEDING. 

For  the  best  re»ultH  with  alfalfa  it  is  important  to  select  land  that  is  in  a  good 
state  of  fertility,  and  that  has  a  deep  calcareous  sub-soil  with  a  proper  amount  of 
moisture  to  enable  the  young  plants  to  get  a  proper  start  during  the  first  year. 
It  is  also  important  to  select  land  which  is  comparatively  free  from  seeds  and 
roots  of  weeds  and  of  other  troublesome  plants  so  that  the  alfalfa  will  take  full 
possession  of  the  soil.  Alfalfa  does  particularly  well  after  a  cultivated  crop  in 
which  the  land  has  been  thoroughly  cleaned.  In  all  ca»es  the  soil  should  be  well 
cultivated  and  a  fine  seed  bed  formed  to  enable  quick  and  uniform  germination 
of  the  seed  after  it  is  sown. 

Tl\e  quality  of  the  seed  is  of  vital  importance.  It  should  lie  large.  uniTorm 
and  bright,  of  good  vitality  and  free  from  impurities,  especially  from  seeds  of 
weeds  and  of  other  plants  which  are  troublesome  in  a  field  of  alfalfa.  It  is  wise 
to  secure  a  sample  before  the  required  quantity  of  seed  is  purchased  and  this  can 
be  sent  to  the  Seed  Laboratory,  Department  of  Agriculture,  Ottawa,  and  a  report 
secured  regarding  the  purity  and  the  germination  of  the  seed  or  it  can  be  tested 
at  home.  If  the  seeds  are  large  and  uniform,  are  free  from  seed.s  of  Sweet  Clover, 
Yellow  Trefoil,  etc.  and  will  germP-'  '  when  placed  between  sheets  of  moist 


blottiiiK  ]*»\»r  or  in  •  box  of  taod  wliith  i«  kipt  warm  mul  iiiui.t.  the  larger  bulk 
can  then  be  ordered  acconling  to  Miniple.  The  bulk  h.t.  when  reieiNetl,  »hould  alio 
be  examined  in  onler  to  be  »ure  that  it  i»  the  tame  ai  the  naniple. 

A  li»tle  rare  in  thi»  way  may  avoid  a  total  or  a  |»artial  failure  of  a  <rop  and 
alio  may  prevent  the  intriMluttion  on  the  farm  of  weeds  whi«h  are  ditlicult  to 
eradirate. 

Kxi^rinu'nts  have  U-en  t<mdu«tcd  at  the  ColieK'"  m  w>wing  alfalfu  in  the 
autumn  and  in  the  upring  ImiIIi  with  and  without  a  nurse  crop.  The  nurse  (■n)p 
UMe<l  in  the  autumn  was  wint.  r  wh»at  and  that  used  in  the  spring  wa«  <'«t».  A» 
a  result  of  two  ilistimt  exp<>rinicntt»,  each  extending  over  a  j)eriod  of  two  years, 
it  was  found  that  the  spring  sowing  gave  the  better  results.  The  alfalfa  which 
was  sown  in  the  spring  alone  gave  an  average  in  the  second  year  of  th.'  test  of 
17.S  tons  and  that  sown  with  oata  an  average  of  ICO  tons  of  green  cmp  [mt  acre. 
The  ulfa'fa  sown  in  the  autumn  with  winter  wheat  was  a  partial  failure  and  that 
Mwn  without  any  nurse  crop  was  badly  winter  killed. 

In  another  experiment  spring  wheat,  barley  and  oats  were  used  as  nur-.'  cn.ps. 
Five  plota  were  sown  with  each  kind  of  grain  thus  making  fifteen  plots  sown  with 
grain  and  alfalfa  seed.  The  average  total  yields  of  green  alfalfa  per  a.re  for  two 
years  obtained  from  the  plots  on  which  the  nurse  crops  had  been  sown  were  as 
iollows:  spring  wheat  20.5  tons,  barley  18.0  tons  and  oats  12.9  tons.  In  this  .-x- 
periment  the  spring  wheat  proved  to  be  the  best  and  the  oats  the  poorest  cri.p  with 
which  to  sow  alfalfa.  The  oat  crop,  especially  if  the  seed  is  sown  thickly,  has  a 
tendency  to  smother  out  the  young  and  tender  plants  of  alfalfa.  All  nurse  crop* 
used  with  alfalfa  should  be  sown  rather  thinly. 

In  still  another  experiment  alfalfa  was  sown  alone  and  with  one  Inishel  of 
barley  per  acre  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  The  test  was  made  in  duplicate,  i. 
the  average  results  of  the  six  tests  in  three  years  it  was  found  that  th.  seeding 
with  barley  gave  a  slight  increase  over  the  alfalfa  which  was  sown  alone.  It  has 
leen  found  that  when  alialfa  has  been  sown  without  a  nurse  crop  higher  returns 
have  been  obtained  from  seeding  in  July  than  in  the  early  spring. 

In  each  of  the  past  ten  years  alfalfa  has  been  sown  on  winter  wheat  in  the 
early  spring.  The  seed  was  sown  on  old  snow,  on  fresh  snow  of  one  or  two  inches, 
and  on  frozen  ground.  The  average  results  show  that  sowing  alfalfa  seed  on  a 
fresh  snow  of  one  or  two  inches  gave  excellent  satisfaction,  prcving  successftil  in 
every  instance.  The  seedings  on  the  old  snow  and  on  the  frozen  ground  gave  fairly 
good  success.  When  alfalfa  seed  i.^  sown  early  in  this  way  no  harrowing  or  culti- 
vation is  neccssarv.  Cicrmination  takes  place  early  and  the  young  plants  get  a 
start  before  the  winter  wheat  makes  a  large  growth.  This  method  requires  less 
labor  and  is  more  successful  than  when  the  alfalfa  seed  is  sown  and  harrowed  in 
at  later  dates. 

Experii^ents  have  shown  that  alfalfa  seed  sown  alone  in  July  on  >i  summer 
fallow  has  given  excellent  satisfaction.  This  gives  an  opportunity  of  killing  weeds 
and  weed  seeds,  of  conserving  moisture,  of  furnishing  an  excellent  seed  bed,  of 
enabling  the  alfalfa  plants  to  get  a  good  start  beiore  winter  and  in  preventing 
weeds  from  producing  seed  in  the  autumn. 

It  is  usual  to  sow  from  eighteen  to  twenty  pounds  of  alfalfa  seed  per  acre 
providing  it  is  not  sown  in  combination  with  different  varieties  of  grasses  and 
dovers.  If  the  crop  is  to  be  grown  principals  for  seed  production,  however,  the 
amount  might  be  reduced  to  fifteen  or  even  to  twelve  pounds  per  acre  if  sown 
broadcast.  Experiments  have  been  conducted^both  at  the  College  and  throughout 
Ontario  in  sowing  alfalfa  seed  in  rows  thirty  inches  apart,  using  only  three  pounda 


tl 

of  ie^U  por  acre.  Tlii»  i»  •»  ext«llent  pUn  when  only  « '  »«U  qutntity  of  ie**!  of  par- 
Ucultrly  high  quality  ih  obtainable.  The  row*  pormit  ot  cultivation  and  when  lown 
thinly  are  apt  to  produce  a  large  amount  of  leed  in  favorable  aeaioDi.  It  i«  uaually 
coMidered  wiK  to  lecuw  aeed  from  the  fint  cutting  in  the  leawn  when  the  crop 
ii  cultivated  in  rowi  and  from  the  ».^ond  crop  when  »own  broadcait. 

In  preparing  the  land  to  receive  the  alfalfa  leed  it  i«  an  cicellent  plan  to 
cultivate  the  wil  thoroughly  and  then  to  follow  with  a  wceder  or  with  both  a 
harrow  and  a  weeder  immediately  before  the  aeed  it  lown.  If  a  nurie  crop  of 
grain  it  to  be  used  the  woder  atUchment  ihould  be  placed  in  front  of  the  tubes 
of  the  gram  drill.  The  land  ahould  then  be  levelled  either  with  a  light  harrow  or 
with  a  weeder.  In  thii  way  the  alfalfa  seed  ha«  the  advantage  of  being  located 
between  the  row*  of  grain  an  at  a  suiUble  depth  in  well  prepared  «oil  which  haa 
been  worked  in  such  a  way  as  to  jjive  the  »e«<l  the  advantage  of  Inith  the  fertihty 
and  the  moisture  in  the  «oil. 


MAXCRES  AND  FERTILIZERS  WITH  ALFALFA. 

The  influence  of  manures  and  fertilizers  depends  so  much  on  the  mechanical 
condition  and  on  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  as  well  as  on  many  other  conditions,  that 
it  makes  it  a  verj-  difficult  matter  to  conduct  experiments  at  any  one  place,  the 
results  of  which  are  equally  applicable  to  all  kinds  of  land.  Some  soils  are  com- 
paratively fertile  while  others  are  deficient  in  some  of  the  fertilizing  elements. 
Some  soils  are  acid  and  require  lime,  while  in  other  instances  the  application  of 
lime  would  show  no  special  advantage.  These  varying  conditions,  .ud  many  othera 
should  be  taken  into  consideratiou  when  studying  the  results  of  fertilizer  experi- 
ments conducted  with  alfalfa  at  any  one  place. 

In  a  representative  part  of  the  experimental  grounds,  four  plots,  each  one- 
twentieth  of  an  acre  in  size,  were  set  aside  to  test  th^  influence  of  farmyard  manure 
on  alfalfe.  On  two  of  the  plots  farmyard  manure  was  applied  at  the  rate  of  twenty 
tons  (about  twelve  loads)  per  acre,  and  this  was  thor  ghly  mixed  throughout  the 
soil.  The  other  plots  were  left  unmanured  and  the  alfalfa  seed  was  sown  on  all 
four  plots.  The  crops  were  harvested  and  the  results  carefully  recorded  in  each 
of  three  years.  The  following  figures  give  the  average  annual  yields  in  tons  of 
green  crop  and  of  hay  per  acre  per  annum,  respectively,  of  the  duplicate  plots  con- 
ducted over  the  tliiee-year  period :  manured  land,  22.4  and  5.8 ;  and  unmanured 
land,  20.7  and  5.3.  These  n  Ma  show  an  annual  difference  of  about  1%  tons 
of  green  crop  and  of  J^  ton  of  hay  per  acre  in  favor  of  the  land  which  had  received 
the  farmyard  manure. 

In  another  experiment  farmyard  manure  at  the  rate  of  twenty  tons,  and  hen 
manure  at  the  rate  of  five  tons  per  acre  were  applied  as  top  dressings  on  alfalfa 
plots  which  had  already  produced  seven  cuttings  of  alfalfa.  The  manures  were 
applied  after  the  first  cutting  of  alfalfa  had  been  taken  from  the  land  in  the  early 
part  of  the  summer.  After  the  application  of  the  manures  was  made  two  crops 
of  alfalfa  were  harvested  in  the  same  year  and  three  crops  in  each  of  the  two  years 
following.  The  average  annual  yields  in  tons  of  green  crop  per  acre  for  each  of 
the  treatments  in  the  three  years'  test  were  as  follows :  farmyard  manure  20.3,  hen 
manure  18.9,  and  no  manure  18.2.  The  influence  of  the  hen  manure  was  quite 
marked  at  first  but  that  of  the  farmyard  manure  was  more  lasting. 


23 

Two  experiinentH  \,  ith  eoinmfr(;ial  fertilizers  with  alfalfa  have  been  condueti-il 
at  the  College.  One  of  these  consisted  of  twenty  jdots  which  were  fertilized  in 
the  same  spring  in  wiiich  the  alfalfa  seed  was  sown  and  the  other  consisted  of 
twelve  plots  which  were  fertilizea  as  a  top  dressing  on  the  alfalfa  sod  after  the 
crop  was  well  established.  The  first  experiment  consisted  of  four  tests  with  five 
plots  in  each  and  the  second  experiment  of  two  tests  with  six  plots  in  each  test. 
Tiie  fertilizer  used  in  each  test  consisted  of  Muriate  of  I'otash  and  Nitrate  of  Soda 
each  sown  at  the  rate  of  ICO  pounds;  of  Superphosphate  at  the  rate  of  320  jHtunds; 
and  a  complete  fertilizer  at  the  rate  of  213  pounds  per  acre.  In  each  test  in  the 
.-(•eond  experiment  Basic  Slag  or  Thomas'  Phosphate  Powder  was  also  used  at  the 
rate  of  3"iO  pounds  per  acre.  One  plot  was  left  unfertilized  in  each  of  the  te>ts 
of  both  experiments,  .\fter  the  fertilizers  were  applied  the  first  experiment  was 
conducted  for  two  and  the  second  for  three  years.  The  results  of  the?e  experi- 
ments show  that  the  phosphatic  fertilizers  gave  the  greatest  yield  of  alfalfa  per 
acre.  Of  the  different  fertilizers  used,  the  Superphosphate  fave  the  higliest  yield 
per  acre  in  the  first  experiment,  and  the  Basic  Slag  or  Tliomis'  Phosphate  powder 
the  highest,  and  the  Supcrpliosphate  the  second  highest  in  the  other  experiment. 
The  greatest  average  annual  yield  of  green  alfalfa  per  acre  was  produced  on  the 
land  which  had  received  the  Superphixsphate  at  the  time  the  seed  was  sown  but 
this  increase,  ov'er  the  crop  produced  on  the  unfertilized  land,  was  only  three-fifths 
of  a  ton  per  acre. 


.\1;FAL1  A  SKKl)  PUODL'CTION. 

The  last  lour  or  five  years  have  been  abnormally  wet,  the  amount  of  rainfall 
for  the  growing  seasons  being  appiMximately  30  ])cr  cent,  above  the  average. 
Previous  to  this  period  alfalfa  seed  production  was  becoming  (piite  .::i  industry  in 

some  parts  of  Ontario.  As  both  a  croj)  of  bay 
and  a  crop  of  seed  can  ]i<^.  produced  in  the  same 
season,  if  weather  conditions  are  favorable,  manv  of 
the  alfalfa  growers  have  found  seed  jiroduciion 
quite  prolitalde.  From  answers  to  extensive  en- 
quiries made  from  farmers  who  liad  grown  alfalfa 
seed  in  Ontario  for  at  least  five  years  some  very 
valuable  information  was  obtained.  We  learned  tiiat 
alfalfa  seed  bad  been  produced  with  success  in  at 
least  thirteen  c<jiinties  of  Ontario.  In  all  cises 
where  seed  was  jjrodiiced  it  was  taken  fn  ni  the 
second  crop,  the  first  crop  of  the  season  being  con- 
verted into  hay.  The  yield  of  alfalfa  seed  per  acre 
varied  considerably,  the  highest  being  seven  Im'^hels, 
and  the  average  a  little  over  two  bushels  ]i<  r  acre. 
The  farmers  determined  the  particular  time  for 
cutting  the  crop  for  .seed  production  Ipy  the  color  of 
the  pods,  most  of  them  stating  that  the  crip]i  should  be 
cut  when  the  pods  were  brown;  some   preferred  to 

leave  the  crop  until  the  j)ods  were  almost  black.    The  majority  cut  their  seed  crop- 

with  a  mowing  machine,  a  numlier  having  used  a  table  attachment  with  the  machine. 

About  30  per  cent,  used  the  reaper  and  about  13  per  cent,  used  the  self-binder. 

As  a  rule  the  crop  was  cured  in   the  windrow  by  those  who  used  the   mowing 


Alfalfa  seed  clus'.er. 


23 

machine  and  in  the  bunclies  b^-  those  who  usoil  tiie  rcaiier  or  the  mowing  nnuhine 
with  the  table  attaeiinient.  Tiiose  wlio  used  the  self-binder  cured  the  crop  in 
shocks.  The  threshing  was  done  mostly  with  a  clover  huiier  and  took  place  almost 
any  time  after  the  crop  was  harvested  until  mid-winter.  When  the  threshing  was 
done  in  the  autumn  dry  weather  was  preferable,  and  wlien  in  the  winter,  cold 
frosty  weather  gave  the  best  results.  Nearly  all  farmers  reported  iiaving  obtained 
good  quality  of  seed  in  most  years.  The  seed  was  sold  ciiietly  to  neighboring 
farmers  and  to  local  dealers.  Tiie  greatest  ditliculties  reporteil  in  alfalfa  sei'd 
production  in  Ontario  were  dui-  to  injuries  caused  liy  grasshoppers,  wet  weatlier, 
blighted  plants,  early  frosts,  and  a  few  mentioned  partial  failures  from  thick 
seeding.  The  ideal  c«indition  appeared  to  be  a  comparatively  moist  sea-on  for  the 
production  of  the  hay  t  loji  and  a  rather  dry  season  after  tiie  hay  had  been  removed 
from  the  land.     The  great  nnijority  stated  tlnit  they  consiilered  seed  production 


One  acre  of  Grimm  Alfalfa  town  in  rows  tliirty  inches  arart  by  U'-ing  three 
pounds  of  seed  per  acre.  This  pliotoRraph  was  taktn  in  the  autumn  alter 
the  seed  crop  had  been  cut  and  shocked  at.  shown. 

did  not  injure  the  idanls.  Nearly  all  were  eiilhiisiast ic  in  regard  to  the  ini]iuir- 
ancc  of  alfalfa  growing  in  Ontario,  lioth  from  tin'  -tandpoint  of  hay  jnd  of  >f'd 
production. 


t"0-OlM:it.\TlVK  KXrKKIMKNTS  WITH   AM  AMW. 
Within  the   pa-t   few  years  a   ituiiiticr  of  co-niieratiM'  cxperinii'iit-  have  luin 


arranged  bv  the  College  and  have  hecn  coiid 


•ted   by   farmers   in   various  ]iart-  of 
dii(  ted  throu'di  the 


the  Province.     An  experiment  with  dilTerent  varieties  was 
nediuni  of  the  Experimental  riiion.  and  all  other  expcrinunt-  wiie  arranged  by 


the  ricld  Husbandry  IVpartinent  of  the  Cullegi 


sent  out   from  the  Col 


seed  and  instruetmns  were 


either  directlv   to  the   fanners  who  wi.-hed   tn  conduct 


24 

-the  tests  or  through  the  Agricultural  Kepreseutatives  who  had  the  tests  conduaed 
through  the  co-operation  of  some  of  the  farmera  of  their  respective  counties.  The 
various  exjwriments  included  the  following: 

1.  Testing  different  varieties  of  alfalfa. 

2.  Testing  the  influence  of  Lime  with  the  alfalfa  crop. 

3.  Testing  the  value  of  Inoculation  with  alfalfa  seed. 

4.  Comparing  alfalfa  sown  broadcast  and  in  rows  for  seed  production. 

5.  Comparing  alfalfa  in  rows  sown  at  the  rate  of  one  pound,  two,  three,  four 

and  six  pounds  per  acre. 

6.  Comparing  the  first  and  second  crop  of  alfalfa  for  seed  production. 

Some  of  the  single  plots  were  one  acre  in  size,  while  in  other  instances  they 
were  ^mailer.  The  plots  used  for  some  of  the  row  tests  were  one  acre  each.  Those 
used  for  the  lime  and  the  inoculation  tests  were  one-quarter  acre  and  those  used 
ior  the  co-operative  work,  through  the  Experimental  Union,  were  one-eightieth  of 
an  acre  each  in  size. 


An  alfalfa  field  which  has  been  cropping  continuously  for  about  fifteen 
years  since  it  was  sown.  The  crop  shown  Is  the  third  growth  m 
the  one  season. 

Tho  variety  tests  up  to  date  have  covered  a  period  of  twelve  years  and  all 
other  co-operative  experiments  with  alfalfa  have  been  carried  out  principally  within 
the  past  seven  years,  the  chief  experiments  having  been  started  in  the  years  1913, 
1914  and  1915.  Tie  various  co-operative  experiments  furnished  valuable  informa- 
tion in  the  differerit  localities  in  which  they  were  conducted,  some  of  them  having 
a  marked  influence  in  placing  alfalfa  production  on  a  more  permanent  basis. 

The  various  returns  .showed  that  the  Grimm  and  the  Ontario  Variegated 
varieties  i)roved  more  hardy  than  the  Commori,  Southern  or  Northern  grown 
alfalfa  in  the  different  counties.    The  reports  along  this  line  are  very  convincing. 

In  the  co-operative  tests  the  lime  was  applied  at  the  rate  of  1,600  pounds  per 
acre  in  the  form  of  ground  unburned  limestone,  ground  burned  limestone,  slaked 
lime  or  hvdrated  lime.  The  lime  was  thoroughly  mixed  through  the  soil  before 
seeding  took  place.  This  material  was  supplied  either  by  the  Agricultural  Repre- 
sentative of  bv  the  fanner  himself.  The  results  show  decided  variations  from  the 
influence  of  the  lime.     In  some  ca,=es  nr>  advantage  was  observed  from  its  appli- 


cation  while  in  other  instB,.oes  the  increase  in  tlie  allallii  eio,,  in.m  the  lime 
application  was  quite  marked.  One  experimenter  stated  that  his  soil  naturally 
contained  a  large  amount  of  calcareous  matter  and  that  he  saw  no  influence,  what- 
ever, from  the  limed  as  compared  with  the  unlimed  plot.  On  other  <oils,  where 
lime  was  quite  deficient,  the  application  of  lime  showed  a  decided  advantage.  Of 
all  the  reports  received,  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  them  showed  applications  of  lira* 

to  be  beneficial. 

It  is  rather  an  interesting  coincidence  that  the  co-opeiative  experiments  con- 
ducted by  the  College  in  alfalfa  seed  inoculation  gave  exactly  the  same  res^ults  as 
was  obtained  by  the  Bacteriological  Department,  the  reports  of  which  appear  m 
another  part  of  this  bulletin.  In  both  instances  alfalfa  seed  which  was  iiuKulated 
gave  higher  results  than  the  uninoculated  seed  in  «<>  per  .ent.  of  the  individual 
tests. 


A  section  of  a  nursery  plot  of  young  Alfalfa  p  ants. 


The  results  of  the  experiments  in  sowing  alfalfa  seed  broadcast  and  in  rows- 
show  a  considerable  variation.  The  broadcast  system  seemed  to  be  pretera  de  for 
hay  production,  but  many  reported  favorably  of  the  row  system  for  *he  production 
of  seed  Of  the  different  amounts  of  seed,  when  sown  in  rows  thirty  inches  apart, 
the  results  indicated  the  most  favorable  returns  from  three  and  four  pounds  per 
acre  as  compared  with  either  thicker  or  thinner  seeding.  One  of  the  special  ad- 
vantages of  the  row  system  is  the  fact  that  if  only  a  small  amount  of  alfalfa  seed 
of  some  particularly  hardy  variety  is  available,  it  is  a  great  advantage  to  sow  this 
seed  in  rows  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  pounds  per  acre  in  comparison  with  twelve 
to  fifteen  pounds  per  acre  when  sown  broadcast,  and  when  seed  production  is  the 
main  object  in  view.  For  seed  production  the  general  evidence  favored  using  the' 
first  crop  of  the  season  when  in  rows  and  the  second  crop  of  the  season  when  sown 
broadcast. 


Owiiij;  to  the  very  large  amount  of  rainfall  in  the  last  few  years  alfalfa  seeci 
proJuotion  has  been  abnormally  low.  In  1916  one  acre  of  land  was  sown  in  the 
Experimental  grounds  at  the  College  in  rpws  thirty  inches  apart  by  using  exactly 
three  pounds  of  seed  on  the  acre.  The  stand  was  almost  perfect,  the  plants  usually 
meeting  between  the  rows.  Similar  evidence  was  obtained  by  a  number  of  growers 
•over  Ontario,  who  sowed  at  the  rate  of  from  three  to  four  pounds  per  acre  in  rows 
two  and  one-half  feet  apart.  The  seed  produced  from  the  first  cutting  at  the 
College  was  165  pounds  per  acre  in  1919  and  74  pounds  per  acre  in  1917.  In 
1918,  owing  to  the  exceptionally  wet  weather,  the  crop  did  not  ripen  and  conse- 
quently produced  hay  instead  of  seed. 


C0*1  POSITION  OF  ALFALFA,  RED  CLOVER  AND  TIMOTHY. 

The  Chemical  Department  at  the  College,  in  co-operation  with  the  Field 
Husbandrj-  Department,  conducted  experiments  in  each  of  two  years  in  comparing 
the  chemical  composition  and  the  digestibility  of  alfalfa,  red  clover,  and  timothy. 
Small  portions  were  analyzed  chemically  to  determine  the  composition  and  larger 
portions  were  fed  to  sheep  to  determine  the  digestibility.  The  following  table  g' 
the  comparative  amounts  of  digeiifble  constituents  in  one  ton  of  hay  of  each  oi 
three  separate  crops: 


Constitusnts 

Alfolfa 

Red  CloTer 

Timothy 

Proteiu 

T.I)R 

192.2 

30.0 

496.6 

205.5 

T.h8. 

141.0 

29.4 

587.4 

209.4 

Lbs. 
48.7 

Fat 

16.2 

Nitrogen  Free  Extract ... 

Fibre  

528.4 
306.9 

The  figure.*  here  presented  are  very  suggestive  and  are  worthy  of  study.  They 
show  that  the  alfalfa  hay  contained  about  fifty  per  cent,  more  digestible  protein 
than  hay  made  from  common  red  clover,  and  abcut  four  times  as  much  as  that 
made  from  timothy. 


INFLUENCE  OF  ALFALFA  ROOTS  ON  THE  SOIL. 

Three  separate  experiments  were  conducted  to  ascertain  the  comparative  value 
of  the  sods  of  alfalfa  and  of  timothy.  After  the  crops  were  removed  from  the  plots 
the  land  containing  the  roots  of  these  crops  was  plowed.  On  the  soAs  of  the  first 
experiment,  winter  wheat  was  sown  in  the  autumn  of  the  year.  On  those  of  the 
second  experiment,  barley  was  sown  in  the  following  spring,  and  on  those  of  the 
thirfl  experiment,  corn  was  planted  the  ucxt  year.  The  average  yields  of  the  grain 
crops  produced  per  acre  are  shown  in  the  following  table: 


V 


Sod 


AUalfa  Sod. . 
Timothy  Sod 


Winter  Wheat 


BusheU 
61.5 
42.1 


Barley 


Busheb 
.10.2 
19.7 


Corn 


Bushe's 
24.0 
17.9 


In  the  second  experiment  the  test  with  alfalfa  and  timothy  sod  was  repeated 
four  times.  Barley  was  sown  on  each  of  the  eight  plots  in  the  following  spring. 
The  detailed  results  of  yields  per  acre  were  very  interesting  and  are  as  follows : 


In  comparing  the  mechanical  condition  of  the  soil  on  which  alfalfa  and  differ- 
ent varieties  of  clovers  and  grasses  had  been  grown,  it  was  found  that  there  was  a 
decided  variation,  resulting  from  the  action  of  the  roots  of  the  different  crops  on 
tne  soil.  This  influence  was  shown  in  two  ways  in  particular ;  first,  by  the  difficulty 
or  the  ease  in  whi^h  the  sod  land  could  be  plowed,  and  second,  by  the  stiffness  or 
the  mellowness  of  the  upturned  sod.  In  one  year  twenty-eight  plots  of  sod  -'-re 
plowed.  These  were  made  up  of  four  separate  tests  each  consisting  of  seven  plo 
Each  test  was  made  up  of  the  sods  of  one  variety  of  alfalfa  and  three  varieties 
each  of  clover  and  of  grass.  When  the  plants  of  each  of  the  four  tests  were  plowed 
careful  examinations  were  made  and  detailed  notes  were  taken  regarding  the 
physical  condition  of  the  soil  in  each  instance.  It  was  found  that  the  alfalfa  sod 
was  more  difficult  to  plow  than  that  of  any  of  the  clovers  or  the  grasses,  but  that 
the  inverted  sod  of  the  alfalfa  plots  was  exceedingly  mellow  and  friable,  surpassing 
all  others  in  this  particular.  The  comparative  differences  of  the  various  sods  can 
be  understood  fai.-ly  well  from  the  following  figures : 


Sods 


Alfalfa 

Common  Red  Clover 
Mammoth  Clover  . . . 

Alsike  Clover » .. 

Timothy 

Meadow  Fescue 

Orchard  Grass 


Difficulty  or  ease  iu 
Plowing 
(10  being  most  difficult) 


'9 
5 
6 
4 

8 
7 

7 


Loose,  friable  condition 

of  inverted  Sod 
(10  being  most  friable) 


18 
7 
« 
S 
8 
4 
4 


The  alfalfa  sod    f  usually  somewhat  more  difficult  to  plow  than  that  of  the 

clovers  or  the  grasses,  owing  to  the  very  large  roots  of  the  alfalfa  plants  which 

are  frequently  pulled  out  of  the  subsoil  instead  of  being  broken  or  cut  in  two. 

■  <>n  the  roots,  to  the  length  of  two,  three,  four  or  five  feet  or  even  more,  are 

•d  out  of  the  subsoil  and  left  in  the  upper  soil  a  large  amount  of  root  material 


28 

ii  thus  deposited  in  the  land  at  the  very  surface.  The  noil  is  thu.s  left  In  exi-elient 
physical  condition  and  a.s  the  loots  decay  they  supply  a  large  amount  of  humus 
particularly  rich  in  fertilizing  elements.  In  one  year  the  Department  of  Field 
Huebandry  spent  some  time  in  removing  the  alfalfa  roots  from  the  land  to  a  depth 
of  two  feet.  This  was  divided  into  four  layers  of  six  inches  each  and  the  roots 
were  carefully  separated  from  each  layer.  The  roots  from  each  of  these  depths 
were  then  analyzed  by  the  Chemical  Department  of  the  College.  The  pcrreiitages 
of  the  fertilizing  constituents  in  the  dried  roots  of  seventeen  montlis*  <M  allalfsi 
for  each  of  the  four  six-inch  layers  were  as  follows: 


Roots  taken  from  different  depths 
of  Soil 

Nitrocen 
N. 

Potash 
K'>0 

Phisphorio  ] 
.\i'id 
Hi  Os      ! 

Unie 
CaO 

Vimt  Hiic  ini'hi's              

l.«4 
1..58 
1.59 
1.58 

.41 
.43 
.42 

.55 
.55 
.51 
.48 

.59 

SAOond  six  iDcht^K      > 

.38 

.48 

ffnurth  fiix  inchen      

.75 

The  roots  of  young  alfalfa  plants  were  found  to  contain  larger  i.ercentages 
of  fertilizing  materials  than  those  of  the  plants  which  were  seventeen  months  old. 


rSES  OF  ALFALFA. 

In  tiie  Province  of  Ontario  alfalfa  may  be  used  in  a  variety  of  way?,  such  as 
for  the  production  of  hay,  green  fodder,  pasture,  seed,  green  manure,  silage  or 
as  a  cover  crop  in  orchards.  Possibly  its  use  in  this  Province  is  in  about  the  same 
order  as  here  given. 

For  the  production  of  hay  it  is  a  most  valuable  crop.  I'nder  favorable  con- 
ditions it  produces  large  yields  of  hay  of  excellent  quality,  ^'e^y  great  care,  how- 
ever, should  be  taken  to  out  the  alfalfa  at  the  commencement  of  bloom  or  at  the 
beginning  of  the  second  growth  of  stems  at  the  crowns  of  the  roots.  Extensive 
experiments  at  the  College  show  that  alfalfa  deteriorates  very  rapidly  both  in 
percentage  composition  and  in  digestibility  after  the  early  blossoming  stage. 
Caution  should  also  be  exercised  not  to  allow  the  alfalfa  to  lie  very  long  in  hot 
dry  sunshine  as  the  leaves  soon  become  crisp  and  are  easily  broken  from  the 
plants.  As  analyses  show  the  leaves  to  be  the  richest  part  of  the  alfalfa,  special 
care  should  be  exercised  to  lose  as  few  of  thorn  as  possible.  For  the  best  quality 
of  hay  it  is  considered  wise  to  rake  the  alfalfa  into  windrows  as  soon  as  it  is 
sufficiently  wilted  and,  at  the  proper  time,  to  place  the  material  .in  cocks  where 
,the  curing  process  should  be  finished. 

The  green  fodder  produced  by  alfalfa  is  both  nourishing  and  appetizing.  It 
is  often  an  advantage  to  start  to  cut  alfalfa  for  green  fodder  some  time  before 
it  has  started  to  bloom.  That  portion  of  the  crop  which  cannot  be  used  for  this 
purpose  before  one-third  of  the  blossoms  have  made  their  appearance  diould  be  cut 
and  cured  into  hay.  The  fact  that  alfalfa  is  a  perennial  plant,  and  the  fact  that 
it  produces  two,  three  and  four  cuttings  in  the  one  season,  makes  it  a  very  desirable 
crop  to  use  for  the  production  of  green  fodder  for  feeding  to  farm  stock  to  supple- 
ment pastures  in  the  dry  hot  summers. 


89 


III    th..-   a\fra;.'.'    ii-iilts   of    uxjuTinu'iit!*   ci.niliittt'il    ut    llif    (.'<illi%" 


diiTori'iit  vi'iir-.  a 
than  any  i>n''  <•!'  tin 
Alsike  Clover,  W 


III    iDiir 
ri' 


llulla.  when  grown  alone,  gave  a  greater  yield  of  puriture  jxr  a. 
■  th.'   following  crops:   L'omnwn   Hed    Clover,   Muinmolli   (lover, 
hit.'  Clover,  Yellow  Trefoil,  Sainfoin  an.l  Hurnet.     When  grown 


and  pastured  ah.ne,  however,  there  seems  to  be  even  a  greater  ri^k  ol  cattle  and 
sheep  he.,, mill-  i.loatcd  than  when  pa.-sturing  on  clover.  The  writer  has  never 
heard  uf  injurious  results  from  bloating  with  any  kind  of  farm  stock  pasturing 
on  alfalfa,  providing  it  is  used  in  combination  with  grasses  and  clovers  in  the  ioriii 
of  a  permanent  pasture.  In  pasturing  alfalfa  there  is  a  danger  of  either  cattle 
or  dieep  eatiii.'  the  tops  so  closely  to  the  ground  that  they  are  apt  to  injure  tlic 
crowns  of  the  roots  and  in  some  cases  to  entirely  kill  the  plants.  Some  excellent 
results  have  Ijeen  ohtaiued  from  pasturing  hogs  and  poultry  on  alfalfa.^ 

In  each  of  eight  or  ten  years  seed  has  been  produced  at  the  College  from 
either  the  first  or  the  second  cuttings  of  alfalfa.  The  results  have  been  about  the 
same  from  each  cutting  when  sown  broadcast,  but  have  been  largest  from  the  first 
cuttin>'  when  the  alfalfa  has  been  sown  in  rows.  Tiie  production  of  alfalia  seed 
has  l»Tii  ,jnlv  fairly  satisfactory  at  the  College  but  in  some  parts  of  Ontario  it 
is  becoming  an  important  industry.  Further  information  is  given  in  this  bulletin 
under  the  heading  of  "  Alfalfa  Seed  Production." 

Alfalfa  is  not  used  alone  as  a  silo  crop  to  any  great  extent  in  the  Province. 
The  fact  of  its  producing  three  crops  in  the  season,  two  of  which  come  at  in- 
opportune times  for  filling  the  silo,  forms  one  of  the  objections  to  using  the  crop 
for  silage  nurposes.  The  third  crop  of  the  season,  which  is  usually  ready  for 
eutiincr  about. the  middle  of  September,  is  sometimes  placed  in  the  silo  along  with 
corn  to  excellent  advantage.  When  alfalfa  is  used  alone  for  silage  it  is  difficult 
to  cure  an.l  is  apt  to  produce  a  dark  colored  silage  as  is  the  case  with  nearly  all 
of  tlie  legumes. 

Alfalfa  certainly  produces  a  large  amount  of  exceedingly  valuable  material 
which  can  be  used  as  a  green  manure.  In  the  majority  of  cases,  however,  it  u 
probably  better  to  use  the  crop  for  feeding  purposes  and  then  to  save  the  manure 
and  return  it  to  the  land  in  that  form  rather  than  to  plow  under  the  whole  crop. 
It  is  quite  probable  there  are  other  crops  more  suitable  for  using  as  a  cover 
crop  in  orchards  than  alfalfa.  The  growth  of  the  plants  is  upright  and  rather 
open,  and  the  roots  penetrate  so  deeply  into  the  soil  that  they  tend  to  rob  the 
subsoil  of  its  fertility  and  of  its  moisture,  both  of  which  are  so  essential  to  the 
best  welfare  of  the  trees. 


ALI-\LFA   IN   COMBINATION   WITH    CLOVERS   AND   GRASSES   FOR 

PASTURE  PRODUCTION. 

While  it  is  not  generallv  recommended,  except  in  special  circumstances,  to 
pasture  alfalfa  when  grown  alone,  this  crop  can  often  be  used  in  combination  with 
grasses  and  clovers  for  permanent  pastures.  For  this  purpose  either  one  of  the 
following  mixtures  of  varieties  and  quantities  of  seed  per  acre  should  give  good 
satisfactfon:  Mixture  No.  1-Alfalfa,  4  pounds;  White  or  Dutch  Clover,  1  pound; 
Timothv,  4  pounds;  Orchard  Grass,  8  pounds;  and  Meadow  Fescue,  8  pounds, 
makin.r"a  total  of  25  pounds  of  seed  per  acre.  Mixture  No.  2— Alfalfa,  G  pounds' 
Alsike" Clover.  2  pounds:  White  or  Dutch  Clover,  1  pound;  Orchard  Grass,  4 
pounds:  Meadow  Fescue,  4  pounds;  Tall  Oat  Grass.  3  pounds;  Meadow  Foxtail, 
2  pounds:  and  Timothv.  2  pounds,  making  a  total  ..f  21  pounds  of  seed  per  acre. 


30 

Till'  lii-t  imiiifd  iiiixtiiiv  lia-  l>f<ii  i.inl'iillv  ti-f«il  at  tlit  College  uiul  lin^i  •^Iwn  good 
rt'siilt-  over  a  lonj,'  iicriixl  <>f  tiiiH'. 

Tlie  .H'til  of  a  iifriiiaiieiit  paHturi-  mixture  cnii  1*  si'v  h  in  tlic  farly  »iiring, 
eitliiT  with  or  without  a  «ruiii  crop.  It  is  bftter  to  I  ' «;  «onie  cultivated  crop 
whicli  lia*  been  carefully  looked  afl<'r  (luriiijf  the  previou*  seai»on.  If  the  seed 
mixture  is  sown  alone,  liie  to|)-  of  ilie  plant!*  should  be  tut  oreasionally  during 
the  summer  and  itlloweil  to  lio  tm  tlu'  ^rround  as  a  muUh.  If  a  nurse  crop  is  used, 
about  one  bushel  of  liarley  or  <d'  spring:  wheat  per  acre  is  rieommended.  As  a  rule, 
oats  do  not  ft>rm  a  jiooil  nurse  crop  for  a  permanent  pasture  mixture.  If,  however, 
they  are  used  tliey  shotiM  be  sown  thiidy.  The  seed  for  the  permanent  ]ia-ture 
should  be  sown  iii  front  and  not  behind  the  tube  drill.  Some  of  the  liner  seed* 
can  be  sown  from  the  irrass  seed  Im)X  and  the  others  by  hand. 

Tlie  most  de.-irnble  condtinution  of  luirdy  gra-se>  and  clovers,  wlu'n  once  well 
established  on  suitable  land,  should  produce  a  good  pasture,  appetizing  to  the 
animals,  excellent  in  (piality,  abundant  in  growth  and  permanent  ;ti  charartir. 


ALFAI-i-A    IN    ('((.MHIN'ATIO.V    WITH    (  L(>\  KRS    AM)   CHASSKS    FOK 

HAY  I'KOUrCTION. 

Sixteen  mixtures  of  grasses  and  clovers  for  hay  production  have  been  grown 
in  each  of  six  separate  two-years'  tests.  Alfalfa,  Common  Hed  Chncr.  Mammoth 
Hed  t'lover  and  Alsike  Clover  were  used  in  combimition  with  Timothy.  Ordiard 
Grass,  Tall  Oat  (irass  and. Tall  Fescue  (irass.  Each  mixture  consisted  of  a  grass 
and  a  legunu-.  The  mixtures  produced  either  two  or  three  cuttings  each  season. 
The  third  cutting  resulted  from  the  mixture  containing  alfalfa.  The  seed  mix- 
tures were  sown  with  a  grain  crop  in  everj'  case.  No  cn.p  was  obtained  in  the 
same  year  in  wliich  the  seed  was  sown.  The  cuttings  wvre  made  in  every 
instance  from  the  second  and  the  third  years  after  seeding  took  place.  The 
following  table  gives  the  animal  average  yield  of  green  crop  and  of  hay  per  acre 
per  annum  for  the  six  separate  tests  of  the  four  mixtures  containing  alfalfa,  and 
also  for  the  mixture  of  Timothy  and  Common  Red  Clover: 


Mixtures 


Tall  Oat  Grass  and  Alfalfa 

Orchard  Grass  and  Alfalfa 

Timothy  and  Alfalfa 

Tall  Fescue  Grass  and  Alfalfa 

Timothy  and  Common  Red  Clover. 


(Sreen  Crop 


Tons 
18.17 
18. 5« 
17.24 
18.81 
12.02 


Hay  Crop 


Tons 
.5.21) 
4.85 
4.64 
4.57 
3.4U 


Of  the  si.xteen  different  mixtures  the  four  containing  alfalfa  surpassed  all 
others  in  yield  of  green  fodder  and  in  yield  of  hay  per  acre.  It  will  be  noted 
that  the  annual  yield  of  the  Tall  Oat  Grass  and  Alfalfa  was  1.8  tons  greater  than 
that  of  the  Timothy  and  Common  Red  Clover.  In  this  experiment  the  Alfalfa 
of  the  legumes  and  the  Tall  Oat  of  the  grasses  exerted  the  greatest  influence  in 
producing  a  high  yield  of  hay  and  the  Timothy  and  the  Alsike  Clover  the  greatest 
influence  in  low  hay  production.  The  Alfalfa  and  the  Tall  Oat  Grass  are  both 
very  hardy,  start  early  in  the  spring,  are  ready  to  cut  at  about  the  same  time, 
withstand  hot  dry  weather  in  the  summer  and  form  a  good  growth  in  the  autumn. 


31 


iMi'oinwNT  sn;«;KsThiNs  loij  tiik  si  n  r.ssi  I  I.  i  lioineriMN 

OK  ALKAI-FA. 

SeltMl  land  liuviii^;  a  dfiin.  nifllnw.  furtilc  -urt'iM<'  soil.  iirfl'iraMy  of  a  .al- 
tareou'  iiatuic  and  overlvin;.'  i-itfu-r  a  nnturally  ipi-  an  urtifuiallv  \mII  dniui.d 
nub*>il.  If  the  soil  is  arid,  lime  choiild  Ik-  applii-d.  I'se  lar^'*'  \>\n\n\>  «t<d  of 
strong:  jitTiniinitinf.'  |io\vcr  and  of  sumo  hardy  \arit'ty  i>Ufh  iv  Urinmi  t.r  Ontario 
Vaiic^ralcd.  Thf  Ci.niinon  alfalfa  strd  of  tiio  Wc-t.Tn  States,  ••vn  tli.iii.;li  it  lias 
btrn  uortlK-rn  j;ro\vn,  u^ually  prodiiies  plants  wliiili  are  t.xj  tender  in  I'ln^'  rp>i>t 
tiie  climatic  conditions  of  Ontario.  Mako  use  of  seed  wliich  tirades  liiu'li  aciording 
to  the  Seed  (.'oiitrol  Act.  Inoculate  wed  with  the  proper  kind  of  lun  leria.  pro- 
vidinjr  alfalfa  has  not  been  jirown  surcessfully  on  the  land  in  rti.nt  yiar>.  Sow 
the  aTfalfa  seed  at  the  rate  of  eij;hteeii  or  twenty  jiound-  per  a. v.  Any  on"  of 
the  followin<;  methods  has  proven  decidedly  succe-sl'ul  ai'ording  to  \hr  r.sult-  of 
experimental  work : 


Two  rows  of  Grimm  Alfalfa,  which  show 
decided  hardiness  in  comparison  with  those 
on  either  side,  which  are  tender  varieties  and 
unsulted  for  cultivation  In  Ontario. 


1.  If  the  land  is  free  from  weed  imi)urities  alfalfa  seed  may  be  sown  on 
winter  wheat  in  the  early  sprinjr  either  on  the  old  snow  or,  better  >till,  on  a  fr-jh 
snow  of  one  or  two  inches.     When  sown  in  this  way  no  harrowing  or  cultivation 

is  necessary. 

i.  On  a  suitable  seed  bed,  and  as  soon  as  the  land  is  sufficiently  dried  in  the 
spring,  alfalfa  seed  may  be  sown  from  the  grass  seed  box  ])laced  in  front  of  the 
tube  drill.  About  one  bushel  of  barley,  wheat  or  rye  per  acre  sown  from  the  tubes 
of  the  drill  makes  a  very  good  nurse  crop.  Oats  are  not  quite  as  suitable  as  they 
are  somewhat  more  smothering  and  require  a  long  season  for  maturity.  After 
the  alfalfa  seed  is  sown  the  land  should  be  harrowed  lightly. 

3.  About  the  middle  of  July  alfalfa  seed  may  be  sown  alone  on  land  which 
lias  been  carefully  .summer  fallowed  providing  there  is  sufficient  moisture  for  good 
germination. 

Alfalfa  should  never  be  pastured  during  the  first  year  and  seldom,  if  ever, 
afterwards,  as  the  pasturing  very  frequently  destroys  the  plants.  The  croj)  should 
be  cut  for  hay  or  for  green  fodder  in  the  following  year  after  the  seeding  takes 
place  and  as  soon  as  the  plants  start  to  bloom.    Care  should  Ije  taken  to  protect 


I     t 


M 


tlH..  croi.  In.,.,  r.....  nn.l  to  .etai,.  u,  ...a..y  o(  tl.o  U-Bve*  «h  |K«.iblf.  lu  ...any 
pUcci  m  Ontario  .illalfa  will  i-nnluce  thr.-e  cr..,m  of  hav  iht  ur.num.  1  he  th  rd 
cnttinK.  Lowner,  may  1*  u-o.l  to  a-lvantaKc  ror  mixin;?  with  corn  whn.  tilling  the 
•ilo  a«  this  form,  an  e.i.y  m.-th«,1  of  l.an.llinK'  the  green  alfalfa  in  th«  autumn 

and   alHo   i ove.   th.  ^uMly  of   tl..^   ...rn   HilaK-.     I"   favorabl..   -;^""»'  '"J 

CKSciallv  ill  loine  l.«-alitieH,  hay  may  k.  obtained  from  the  fir.t  cro,.  i.n.l  M-ed  from 
the  gerund  crop  in  ••a.li  ^••a-'on  and  for  a  period  of  icvtral  yf-ar-. 

If  11...  diivtioii.  1....T  i:U>'n  an.  .ar-f,.lly   follow.-d  alfalfa   may  I--  .•speeted 
to  pPHliUf  largo  and  valual.le  crops  f..r  a  nun.lHr  of  year,  without  r.-s.-eding. 


A  few  Alfalfa  Dloti.  showing  the  OnUrto  Varle«mted  In  the  «'ont. /|»f 
Qrlmm  ftrtheet  away,  and  the  Common  Alfalfa  from  the  Western 
aute«  in  iSe  centre.  The  reader  will  obaenre  how  tender  the  alfalfa 
KSed  from  Colorado  UUh.  Nebraska  and  Texas  Is  In  comparison 
with  the  other  two  hardy  varieties. 


I  ■'